In My Life: A Beatles Story
by smoshen
Summary: Eileen Carter is a model selected to appear in The Beatles' first film, and she falls head over heels for John Lennon. But when an anonymous killer is on the loose, it tends to complicate things.
1. Chapter 1

This is just a little story I wrote a few years ago and published on another site, and I thought I'd share it with you people while I thought of my next new story. I apologize for any historical and/or factual mix-ups—I've written this a long time ago already. Enjoy!

I sat on the bench outside of my modeling studio, looking and feeling very bored. Not to mention tired. Modeling all day can sure knock you out. I sighed and brushed my fringe out of my face for what seemed like the millionth time today. That hairspray that I use every morning never works. Not that I need it of course, the people in charge of the modeling studio just say I do. My hair's actually very easy and manageable, except for my fringe. Plain, straight, and blonde. Hardly anything to blink an eye at. And of course I have the standard eye color for a blonde-blue. I was just plain-looking. Why everyone thought I was a perfect model, I will never know. I guess that blonde hair and blue eyes is the standard for the Liverpuddlian model. Well, except for my friend Gwen, but she was a whole other story all together.  
When I figured I had enough fresh air, I went back into the studio. I had another photo shoot in about a half an hour, and I couldn't be late for it. I tucked my fair hair under my ears and walked around. I soon spotted my friend, Pattie Boyd, sitting alone looking as bored as I was. "Pattie!" I called as I walked over to her. Pattie was the same age as me and Gwen, twenty, but unlike Gwen and I, she didn't look it. Pattie was a very tall, but slightly built girl. She had blonde hair and blue eyes like me, but unlike me her hair was a little shorter and in a small beehive style. To make her look even younger, her face was round and she had a gap-toothed smile. But she was one of the prettier girls that modeled here.  
"Hey Eileen," said Pattie when she saw me. Yes, my name is Eileen. Eileen Carter. Most people who I tell my name to for the first time think that I'm Irish, but I'm 100% Liverpuddlian. "What's up?"

I shrugged. "Just bored out of my wits is all," I said. I looked around a little. "Have you seen Gwen anywhere? We're just about to start the photo shoot and we need her for this one."

"I can't say I have," said Pattie in her small voice. Gwen and I always said that she looked like a little pixie. "But I will look with you."

"Good," I said. With that, we set off. Remember when I said that Gwen was a whole other story? Well, she is. In fact, Gwen Stanley is just about the craziest, maddest human being to walk the earth. But I've been her friend for all these years, so I guess I can say I'm crazy and mad too. "Maybe she's back at the flat," I suggested.  
Pattie shook her head. "No, that's too easy for Gwen. Maybe she's out back."  
"Worth a shot," I said. Sure enough, when we got out back, there was a rustling sound in the rubbish heap, and out popped Gwen Stanley, with a banana peel in her hair, clutching a poster that she had dug out from the rubbish. She had a winning grin on her face.  
"Knew we'd find you here," I said, shaking my head.  
"What _is_that?" asked Pattie, holding back a laughing fit.  
"This," said Gwen, jumping out of the rubbish heap and pulling the banana peel out of her hair, "is a work of art." Making a bugle fanfare imitation, she unfurled the poster to reveal a photograph of George Harrison, the lead guitarist for The Beatles. "Now, why would someone throw _this_away?"  
"Because George is not as popular as John or Paul?" suggested Pattie. "I mean, he's good and all, but John and Paul are more—well—alluring."  
Gwen put her hands on her hips. "So, you don't think George is good looking?" she asked. Gwen loved The Beatles, like all of us, but she was completely obsessed. Her favorite was George, obviously, but she did also have a soft spot for Ringo. Unlike Pattie and me, she had long, brunette hair that was a little wild form digging in the trash. She also had brown eyes, and was taller than me, but about an inch or two shorter than Pattie.

"Oh, no," replied Pattie, looking a little thrown off. "All I was trying to say was—well—um—that—he—"

"-is less popular than the other two," I finished for her. "And that doesn't mean that he looks worse than the others."  
"Thanks Eileen," said Pattie, who was bright red by now.  
"Any time Pat," I said. I looked over at Gwen again. The rubbish heap must have not had a lot of trash in it, because luckily, Gwen wasn't garbage-soaked. She was also dressed in a ratty pair of jeans and an old white t-shirt. But she still didn't look her best at the moment. "Um, Gwen," I said, looking her over. "I'd clean up if I were you, we have that photo shoot in about twenty minutes."  
Gwen froze like a deer in the headlights. "Oh, you're right!" she yelled. "I gotta run!" With that, she dashed off back to our flat to clean up.  
"Hopefully she'll be ready in time," said Pattie.  
"Oh, she will be," I said. Pattie and I went up to the makeup booth to prepare for the photo shoot. I personally hated makeup; it made my face itch. It wasn't an allergic reaction, it was just a subconscious thing where you knew that there's something all over your face that doesn't need to be there. But I was a model, so I needed it. Pattie and Gwen were less fidgety than me. After the makeup, I put on a fancy dress that was green and purple striped (I hated it) and came up to my knees, and my hair was done in a messy-style bun on the top of my head. I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. This was how I had to live.

My face was narrow with high, sharp cheekbones and along, straight nose. Everyone at the agency said that it was a perfect models' face, but I thought it was nothing special. I never really wanted to be a model, anyway, but it was the only thing that I could do. I lacked the grace needed to be a waitress, and I didn't have the right people skills to be a saleswoman. I played piano, but I wasn't able to find anywhere where I could earn a supple amount of money playing it. So I followed Pattie and Gwen into modeling, and it stuck.  
"Hey Eileen," said Pattie as she came out of the trailer. Her hair was the same, but her makeup was done up a little more and she wore the same dress as me. It looked so right on her, even though I found the colors hideous on anyone else. "You look nice."  
"Thanks," I said. "Gwen back yet?"  
"Yes I am!" said Gwen, walking up to us. Somehow, she was already in makeup and dress. Her hair was a little harder to deal with sense it was so long, but the hair stylists had managed to put it in a bun like mine, but not as high.  
"How are you ready so fast?" I asked.  
"Never underestimate," was all Gwen said.

"I think we should get to the shoot then," said Pattie.

"Right," I said. The location was indoors, but there was fake garden landscaping all around. Pattie, Gwen, and I did a few poses, talked to a few people, and it was over.

"Funny you have to spend so much time getting ready for something that only takes ten minutes," I said back in the trailer, wiping off my makeup.

"Yeah, it is kinda funny," said Gwen. "But worth it when you see the pictures."

"Too right," said Pattie. "God I'm exhausted. Head home?"

"As soon as I get out of this bloody dress yes!" I said. Soon enough, the girls and I were back in street clothes and walking back to our little apartment flat. It was small and nothing special, but it managed to shelter us for the time when we weren't out modeling.  
"Wow," said Gwen. "Modeling sure takes a lot out of you." She crashed down face up on her bed, gazing at her newly found poster of George Harrison, which she had taped to the ceiling above her bed.  
"Gwen, that thing _smells!_" complained Pattie, holding her nose. "D'ya think you can spray it with something?"  
"Got ya covered," said Gwen. Immediately, she pulled out her bottle of rose perfume and sprayed the whole poster.  
"Ew, Gwen, that just made it _worse!_" I said, trying not to giggle.  
"To each her own," said Gwen simply. "Eileen, I'm surprised you don't have a huge poster of Paul McCartney up there."  
I turned red. I did have a bit of a crush on Paul, and Gwen never let me forget it. "Well, I'm never able to find one that's in my price range!" I said defensively.  
"Maybe you can find one in the trash," joked Pattie. We all laughed, even Gwen chuckled a little.

"You know Pattie," said Gwen. "You never speak about _your_ favorite Beatle."  
"Maybe I don't have one," said Pattie, shrugging.  
"Oh, come on," said Gwen, nudging Pattie in the shoulder. "Every Beatle fan has a favorite!"  
"Well, it's just hard to choose!" said Pattie.  
"Aw, Gwen, leave her alone," I said. "So what if she doesn't have a favorite?"  
"It's just not right!" said Gwen. "Maybe I'll let you share George with me, since you're so preoccupied with staring at that poster."  
Pattie jumped back, blushing. She had in fact been looking at Gwen's poster. "Oh, Gwen, come on! I mean-I'll think about it-it can't be that hard!"  
Gwen winked at Pattie. "Alright then," she said.

"Wouldn't it be gear to meet them?" I asked. I could've sworn I saw Gwen's face glow with light.

"Gear?" she said. "It would be so much more than just gear!"

"But it's very unlikely," said Pattie. "I doubt it'd ever happen."

"But it's fun to think about though," I said.

"Yeah, it is..." said Gwen, drifting off.

"I don't even want to know what you'd think about Gwen Stanley," I said.  
"Shut up Eileen Carter," she said. Soon, a pillow hit me square in the face, and me, Pattie and Gwen were involved in a full-scale pillow fight. Meeting The Beatles was forgotten, but something soon was about to happen that would change all of us.


	2. Chapter 2

Soon after the wild pillow fight, all three of us were asleep. But the sleep didn't last long, because in what seemed like only an hour or two, the alarm clock went off. I sleepily flipped my hand up to the clock and pushed the button to stop it from ringing, but it did no good at first. I punched the clock, and it fell onto the floor. That stopped it. I groaned and sat up in bed. I picked the clock up off the ground and read the time. Four in the morning. Great. If the modeling agents wanted you to look good, then why did they have to get you up so early? I must look like a frikin zombie...

I got out of bed and plodded over to Gwen's bed. I nudged her. She was asleep, and so was Pattie. It seemed that I was the only one that was affected by the alarm clock. I nudged Gwen again, and she rolled over and groaned. "Gwen," I said. "Time to get up."  
Gwen moaned and opened her eyes a fraction. "What time is it..." she muttered.

"Four in the morning," I said.

"God..." mumbled Gwen. "Too early..."

"Well, we kinda have to," I said more sharply, pulling the covers off her. Gwen growled and tried to pull the covers up again, but I threw them off the bed. "Why am I the only one that can get you two up in the morning?" I asked.

"Because," said Gwen, slowly standing up, "you're the lighter sleeper. Pattie and I could sleep through a mile-long freight train filled with bad trumpet players."

I nodded. "True," I said. "Wake Pattie up?"

"Why not," said Gwen. When I finally got to get a proper look at Gwen, I tried not to laugh. Her hair looked worse than it did coming out of the rubbish heap! Ah well, I guess that's the price to pay for having long hair. The two of us went over to Pattie's bed and sat at either side.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked.

"Watch this," said Gwen with an evil grin. "This usually works on me, but I just want to see what our Patricia does." She leaned very close to Pattie's ear and whispered, "Pattie, wake up! George Harrison is right in front of your bed and he wants to talk to you!"

Pattie immediately sat up with a small squeal and her large eyes opened wide. "Where?" she said groggily.

"Ha!" shouted Gwen. "See, that proves it! Wasn't I right Eileen?"

"Right about what?" asked Pattie, still looking around for George.

"Right that you _do _fancy George a bit!" said Gwen with a triumphant look on her face.

"Aw, come on Gwen," I said. "Knock it off."

"But I was right!" said Gwen.

"No you weren't!" shouted Pattie defensively, but the color of her now scarlet face told different. "I was just staring at that poster to make sure there was no trash on it! It certainly _smelled_like it." She looked at me for backup.

"Um, I think that we should just drop the subject," I said.

"God!" said Gwen. "Eileen, you're no fun! Always the peacemaker..." The argument of Pattie vs Gwen went on in a few short bursts on the way back to the studio, but somehow I managed to shut them up each time. It was amazing how they were able to live together. They were so different! Gwen was so outgoing and crazy, but Pattie was quiet and shy. I guess opposites really do attract.

"You're being daft Gwen!" said Pattie back in the makeup booth.

"I think you're being daft," said Gwen. "You're not recognizing the love! Bloody hell, when Eileen saw a picture of Paul for the first time, she fell head over heels!"

"I think you're _both _being daft!" I said, annoyed. "Why don't you drop it!"

"I think we should," said Pattie finally. Gwen silently agreed, but it was reluctant.

"Thank you," I said, exasperated. Today was supposed to be a normal day: wake up early, photo shoot, go home, and eat. Nothing special. I was ready early for some reason. I was usually the one that took the longest (except for yesterday when Gwen had to shower because of her treasure hunt in the trash). Because I was last, I went wondering around the studio for a while. I had my normally very straight hair curled and my fringe poofed up, I wore an unnaturally short, but plain white dress, and heavy purple eyeshdow with even heavier black kohl eyeliner. I was supposed to look attractive. I guess I did, because I got catcalls from random guys in the studio. As I was walking, I heard a voice call me.

"Hello miss," said a man. He sounded American, but there was also a hint of a British accent. He probably lived here for a while, I thought. He was tall, and he had brown hair and happy-looking eyes.

"Hello," I said back, trying to be polite.

"I want to know if you know a Miss Eileen Carter," said the man.

"Yes sir," I said. "I'm Eileen Carter.

The man smiled. "Oh, good!" he said, obviously very happy to see me. "My name is Dick Lester. I direct movies."

Dick Lester? Not _the_Dick Lester? "I'm very pleased to meet you Mr. Lester!" I said, excited. "I'm a big fan of your movies!"

"I'm glad to know that!" said Dick Lester. "And you can call me Dick, Miss. Eileen."

"Okay Dick," I said. "What were you looking for me for?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to be in one of my movies," said Dick. I brightened up. Be in one of Dick Lester's movies? I'd die to! "Not a huge part," he continued.

"What kind of movie is it?" I asked, barely able to contain myself.

"I'm sure you know The Beatles?" asked Dick.

"Oh, yes I do!" I said. "My friends and I are huge fans!"

Dick nodded. "Well, Eileen, I'm directing a Beatles movie. It's just basically a day in the life of the boys, and, obviously, in a day in the life of The Beatles, there are screaming girls. We're doing a train scene, and we're hiring models to play schoolgirl fans on the train. You're one of the models we're interested in to take up one of the roles. Will you accept?"

"Will I meet The Beatles?" I asked.

Dick nodded.

"Then yes!" I shouted.

Dick laughed. "Good," he said. "I have another question. There are two other girls I'm looking for at this agency. Do you know a Miss Gwen Stanley and a Miss Pattie Boyd?"

I jumped up and down like a maniac. "Yes!" I yelled, excited. "They're my best friends!"

"Can you bring them to me?" asked Dick.

"Yes sir!" I shouted. I bounded off to the makeup booth to Gwen and Pattie.

"What are you so excited about?" asked Pattie.

"You'll see!" I said, grabbing her and Gwen by the arm and dragging them along with me.

"Did you see Paul McCartney or something?" asked Gwen laughing.

"No, but I might!" I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Pattie. "You're being so cryptic Eileen!" Dick was in the same place he was in when I left to find my friends.

"Dick, these are Gwen Stanley and Pattie Boyd," I said to him.

"It's nice to meet you ladies," said Dick, shaking their hands.

"I better like what's coming up," said Gwen.

"Oh, you will," I said, almost breaking under pressure.

"Well, what is it?" asked Pattie, who was obviously in great suspense.

"I'm having you three ladies cast in the new Beatles movie as schoolgirls on the train scene," said Dick calmly. Obviously, he was used to the kinds of reactions that girls like Gwen gave. Immediately, she was jumping up and down, yanking at her hair, and squealing like a little girl.

"Are we meeting them?" she screeched.

"There is a possibility," said Dick.

Gwen screamed some more.

"Calm down Gwen," said Pattie. "None of them are going to want to talk to you if that's your reaction!"

"I'll have to agree with Pattie," I said. "You'll scare them away!"

"Oh, they'll love me!" said Gwen.

I rolled my eyes. I turned to Dick and asked him, "So, when are we going to start filming?"

Dick grinned. "The taxi's out front Eileen."


	3. Chapter 3

Dick led us all out to a taxi cab parked outside the studio. I sat in between Pattie and Gwen, and Dick sat to Pattie's right. He paid the driver, told him the destination, and we were off. "So," said Dick, looking at the three of us. "Have any of you had any past motion-filming experience?"

Pattie raised her small hand slightly. "I've been in some little commercials sir," she said shyly.

Dick smiled. "Good! No one else?" Gwen and I shook our heads. "Right then."

We drove more and more down the road. "Dick, are we going to start filming right away?" I asked. Dick nodded. "What do we have to do?"

"Well," said Dick. "We normally shoot out of sequence, but we're starting with the first scene. What you girls have to do, with many other girls of course, is chase the boys down the street to the train station." Gwen looked as if she were about to burst

"We're getting paid to chase The Beatles?" she exclaimed. "My life's dream!"

I nudged her. "Calm down, Gwen," I said.

"Yeah," said Pattie. "We want you alive for the filming!" Dick started to laugh, and soon all of us, even the driver did too. When we got to the set, the taxi stopped and we got out. Gwen got out the fastest, obviously trying to get an eyeful of Beatle.

"Geez Gwen, _relax,_" I said. I looked at Pattie and we rolled our eyes at each other. Suddenly, I heard a huge squeal and screech from Gwen. "Gwen, what _is_it!" I said, exasperated.

"It's them!" Gwen screamed, pointing wildly in front of her and jumping up and down. "It's The Beatles!" Both I and Pattie looked at the spot where Gwen was pointing. Sure enough, standing there were John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, in front of a crowd of girls lining up to chase them in front of the camera, surrounded by protection. I looked closer, and my heart sank. Paul McCartney wasn't there!

"Dick?" I asked, frantic. "Where's Paul? Is he sick?"

Dick chuckled. "No," he said. "Read the script." He opened the script up, gave it to me, and pointed where he wanted me to read it. It turned out that we weren't going to be chasing Paul-he would be at the train station already wearing a fake beard and mustache with an old man that was supposed to be his grandfather. I admit it was very funny, but I was rather crestfallen at the fact that Paul was not with the other three at the moment.

"Aw, cheer up Eileen," said Gwen, patting me on the back. "You'll see him!" I wasn't sad, but Gwen was acting like my mother had died.

"Paul's her favorite," I heard Pattie whisper to Dick.

"And who's yours?" Dick asked. Uh-oh! The forbidden question! Pattie turned a tomato red and refused to answer.

"So, do we just go over there now?" I asked.

"Yes, we'll place you right now," said Dick. "Perhaps in the front, seeing as how you're dressed."

I gasped and remembered that all three of us were still in our clothes we were supposed to wear for the photoshoot! Gwen must have noticed the concerned look on my face because she said, "Oh, calm down, Eileen! These clothes got us in the front! And not to mention we'll be looking quite gear for them."

I rolled my eyes and followed Dick with Gwen and Pattie. I really didn't think I looked "gear" at all. When Dick placed us in front, I could've sworn Gwen started floating. I felt rather inhuman myself, to be honest. What if my makeup was smudged? I could've been scratching my face in that bloody cab and not have noticed! Pattie, however, just stood there facing the ground, being her normal shy self. A voice spoke to me that caught my attention.

"Looking fab today, are we?" said a widely grinning John Lennon, who was looking right at me. I didn't know what to say. Gwen was nodded vigorously at me, egging me on.

"Umm-thanks!" I finally said. Pathetic. A Beatle says you look fab and all you say is that. I must have been a million shades of red by now.

"Leave the poor bird alone John," said George, who was standing next to him. "She's scared stiff!"

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks," I said, but it probably didn't convince them.

"Oh no yer not," said Ringo. "You're not going hysterical." He paused. "Like that brunette bird over there." I knew right away he meant Gwen, who was grinning hugely and jumping up and down while squealing. The only reason she was in one place was because Pattie was holding her back.

"Oh, yeah, she's crazy," I said.

"So," said John. "What's your name love?" I was about to answer, but we had already begun chasing the three Beatles on film, and I couldn't say anything while we were doing that. Half because the cameras would pick it up, and half because running took a lot out of me. It seemed like forever! A few seconds after we took off, George and Ringo tripped right over each other and fell flat on their faces, and John just kept running, laughing. Oh, that John. What a goofball. George and Ringo got up right away, unhurt though, and the running continued.

I noticed Paul sitting on a bench with the old man and the fake facial hair near the end, but I couldn't stop to say anything to him. The girls weren't supposed to recognize him. Finally, the chase was over, and I was left huffing and puffing, leaning on a wall.

"Wow Eileen," said Gwen, who joined me with Pattie. "You actually _spoke_ to them!"

"And John asked for your name!" said an equally excited Pattie.

"Oh, well I couldn't give it to him," I said. "I probably won't get a chance to talk to him again anyway." I wish I could though...

"Doesn't Paul look silly?" giggled Gwen.

"Yeah, with that beard and everything!" said Pattie. "Cute!"

"But is he your favorite?" pestered Gwen. Pattie's face grew stony and she glared at Gwen through her sapphire eyes that were narrowed to slits.

"Okay, stay away from the forbidden question," I said in false cheer with a huge fake smile plastered to my face stepping in between the two. Soon after, I was distracted by a group of huffing and puffing young men.

"Hey, Paul," said John, who was coming up to us with Paul, George, and Ringo. "I'd like ya to meet this bird I spoke to before the big chase."  
I was utterly shocked. "Hi," I croaked, trying to keep my cool. Paul's beard was off, so I could actually see his face. The prime example of perfection. But there was also something about John's leering stare; the way he looked at me through those narrow, brown eyes.

"Hey there!" said Paul cheerily.

"So love," said John grinning. "I never got yer name."

"Oh, it's Eileen," I said.

"It's been a pleasure, Eileen," said John with a posh accent, doing a sweeping bow.

"I'd say," I said.

"So Eileen," said Ringo, looking at me in a friendly way with his big blue eyes. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh," I said hastily. "These are Gwen and Pattie." I gestured to each.

"Lovely," said Paul.

"You all models?" asked John.

"Yes, we are," I said.

"Nice," said Ringo. "Fun?"

I snorted. "Well, if you think getting ready for countless hours for something that'll only take a few minutes is fun, then yes!"

"I can think of one thing like that," said John, grinning evilly.

"Aw, come on John," said Ringo."Don't talk dirty like that around the birds!"

"Funny," said John, suddenly in thought. "It's usually George that stops me...he's here, isn't he?"

George didn't answer. He was there, but he seemed a bit preoccupied looking at something with great interest. I shifted to the side a little to get a small glimpse at what. My eyes got wide as I saw what he was looking at was Pattie! "Uh, I'm here," he said when he could finally tare his eyes away from her.

"Aw, we gotta go," said Paul. "We've got a scene to do. Oh well, it was nice talking to you girls!"

"Hope to see you around the set, Eileen," said John. He lifted up my hand and kissed it. I felt butterflies swoop through me at all angles. A Beatles just kissed me! It wasn't a real kiss, but still! I felt in a haze. As the boys walked away, I noticed that George was still looking back at Pattie. Pattie was also looking at him. George flashed a giddy smile, but he was ushered away by the rest of the boys. When they were gone, Gwen and I shifted our eyes to Pattie, who seemed a bit busy staring out into space and twisting a lock of her hair.


	4. Chapter 4

Back in the hotel room where Pattie, Gwen, and I were staying at during scenes where we weren't needed and the end of filming for that day, Gwen and I were still giving Pattie hell about the "George-staredown" as Gwen called it.

"I was not staring at him!" shouted Pattie. "It was just that thing where I was overwhelmed with the thought of The Beatles being right there!"

"Oh, yeah, and I'm the Queen!" I shouted. "You were so staring at him!"

"Eileen, I thought you were on my side!" yelled Pattie.

"Oh, she was until she saw the truth of it all!" said Gwen. "She's seen the light!"

"Pattie's in love with George!" I teased.

"And she'll admit it, won't she?" said Gwen. Pattie's face turned toward her. Her face was bright red. It was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or anger, but it was most likely from anger. Pattie was normally pretty quiet, but when she got angry, her temper was like a fiery whirlwind. She looked absolutely menacing.

"No. I. Won't," she growled through gritted teeth. She picked up a pillow and chucked it, meaning to hit Gwen, but she missed and hit me in the face instead.

"Hey, Pattie, ya know the more defensive you get, the more likely it is that you're not telling the truth?" I said, throwing the pillow on the ground. I looked over at Pattie. She didn't look angry or menacing at all anymore. In fact, she looked pretty hurt. I immediately felt very bad. We were being rather mean to her. I went over to her.

"Aw, Pat," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We didn't mean to hurt you, we were only joking!" Pattie grunted and shrugged my hand off her shoulder. I sighed. I looked over to Gwen for some help, but the just gave me an apologetic look. Some help that was. I spoke again.  
"Hey, Pattie, did ya see the look that John was giving me back there?" I said. "I thought he was gonna ask me to marry him right then and there!" I saw Pattie smile a bit, so I decided to go on with that more. "And I must have been a little star struck myself, judging by the looks I was getting from the others!" Pattie looked up at me, a lot happier.

"Oh, Eileen, such a joker," she said.

"Damn!" said Gwen suddenly, making Pattie and I jump.

"What?" I asked.

"I left my George Harrison poster back home!" wined Gwen, punching her bed.

"Aw, poor Gwenie, who's in love now?" asked Pattie with a wry grin.

"Oh, why you little!" said Gwen. She grabbed a pillow and whacked her with it. Oh boy, another pillow fight! We get into a lot of those. It was rather short because it was pretty late, so after about five minutes, all three of us were asleep.

The alarm went off a little later than it did last time, but it was still earlier than either of us like. I sluggishly got out of bed and went through my usual morning ritual of waking up Gwen and Pattie. They woke up quicker than usual, possibly because we were doing more filming with the boys. Today, we were filming a scene where Pattie has a pretty prominent part. Basically what happens is the boys see two pretty girls sit down at a table (one being Pattie) and Paul goes over and tries to chat them up. Of course, his troublemaking grandfather tells the girls that they're prisoners...ah well!

"Hurry up!" I said to Gwen, who was making sure to take a long time to get her makeup just perfect. "We're gonna be late!"

"Alright, alright, don't get your skirt in a knot!" said Gwen, who had finished with her face and was now putting her hair in a ponytail. "So Pat, ready for your big scene?"

Pattie, who was sitting on her bed looking quite absentminded, nodded.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Nervous?"

"Oh, no, not nervous," said Pattie. I believed her too, she really didn't look nervous at all. "Just trying not to tire myself out. I'm actually looking forward to it!"

"Looks like Pattie's gonna talk to your Paul first, Eileen!" said Gwen, nudging me in the ribs.

"Oh, shut up," I said. "Your George was looking at Pattie and not you!" At this, both Gwen and Pattie turned red. "Gotcha," I said, winking.

When we got to the set outside of the train, a girl that none of us had ever seen before was waving at us. She looked to be maybe about a year or two older than me. She had short brown hair that was in a flip style and bouffanted and fringed. She wore a big smile as she walked over to me.  
"Hello," she said. "I know you don't know me, but I saw you talking to The Beatles yesterday, and I just had to ask you about them!" She said this in a type of drawl, but her voice wasn't high-pitched. In fact, it had a sort of alto pitch to it. I said nothing for a moment, so she just looked at me with her big hazel-green eyes with very long lashes. "My name's Jerri by the way," she said. "Jerri Dunn."

"Eileen Carter," I said. Jerri held out her hand for me to shake it.

"Nice to meet you Eileen," said Jerri. "So, what were they like?"

I paused for a second. What were they like? I wasn't so sure yet. "Well...they were kind of normal actually," I finally said.

Jerri looked disappointed. "Just normal?" she said blandly. I nodded. "Well then...what are your friend's names?" she asked, her wide grin back on her face.

"Oh, this is Gwen and Pattie," I said, gesturing to each of them. Gwen had a disgusted look on her face, and Pattie was her normal shy self.

"Nice to meet you girls!" said Jerri very cheerily. "I know that we're going to be great friends!" She flashed us a bright smile and skipped off.

"I don't like her," said Gwen quietly as soon as Jerri was out of earshot.

"I'm not sure I have a stead opinion either, Gwen," I said. We walked over to the costume department for our costumes. We were dressed in grey and white schoolgirl skirt uniforms. Every model looked the same, basically. In the crowd of girls, I noticed Jerri flirting with one of the younger cameramen. Gwen turned sour and pretended to vomit to the side. It got a giggle out of Pattie.

Soon after that, we got on the train to start filming. Only two models were in the scene we were filming right now, but we would later be filming a scene with more girls. Gwen and I were walking to the set with Pattie when we were stopped.

"Excuse me," said the man who had stopped us. "Are you all in this scene?"

"No sir," I said. "Just her." I pointed to Pattie who bit her lip and looked down.

"I'm sorry miss," said the man. "You and the other girl are going to have to leave the set. I didn't see a point in arguing, so I began to exit with Gwen, but an arm blocked us. I looked up and saw John.

"Sir, I believe that these girls can stay off camera," he said to the man. "They just want to watch their friend."

The man looked truly shocked. Apparently none of The Beatles had spoken to him before. "Oh, I'm so sorry Mr. Lennon, truly! Yes, the girls can stay, I didn't think!" He immediately rushed off set. Gwen and I shrugged at each other.

"Um...John?" I said.

John turned to me. "Yes Eileen?"

My heart jumped. He remembered my name! "Thanks," I said.

"Don't mention it love," said John, winking. Soon, the rest of the boys joined us on the set, and another girl we didn't know sat down at the table with Pattie. Gwen and I stayed off camera as instructed, and we tried hard not to laugh at how dorky Paul was in this scene! Pattie also had a speaking part. It was one word, "Prisoners?" but it was something. The scene was short, and before we knew it, it was over. Gwen went over to talk to Pattie, but John had me stay with him and the boys.

"So Eileen," said Paul. John must've reminded him of my name. "How was my acting?"

I laughed. "Very funny!" I said truthfully.

"Ah, ye hear that Paul?" said Ringo. "She just said 'funny'!"

"I like funny," I said.

"She must like John, he certainly looks pretty funny!" said Paul.

"Hey!" said John." Don't be jealous now!"

"Cor blimey, who is she?" said George, extremely off-topic.

"Wha?" said Ringo, a little thrown-off.

"That blonde," said George, very dreamily.

"This is Eileen, remember?" said John, putting his arm around my shoulder. I felt butterflies.

"No, the other blonde," said George.

"You mean the one talking to the brunette bird?" asked Paul.

"Yeah," said George.

I laughed. "What's wrong," said George.

I tried to get a grip. "That's Pattie! She's my friend!"

"Ah, then you can introduce the bugga!" said John.

"I really don't think-" said George, but he was cut off by John.

"Go on Georgie!" said John. "You're the Scouse of Distinguishment, remember?" he gave George a little shove, and he bumped right into Pattie.  
Pattie wheeled around. She knew who bumped into her right away, because her face went scarlet all the way up to the roots of her hair. It looked like a very bad sunburn.

George smiled widely. "Hi," he said.

Pattie smiled. "Hi," she said, still red.

"Come on, let's leave the lovebirds be," said John, ushering me away from the rest of the people.

"Hey, John, I just want to thank you again for what you did back there," I said.

"Ah, don't sweat it Eileen," said John. "It was nothing really." It was silent for a moment, but John spoke again. "So, love, if you don't mind me askin, which one of us is your favorite?"

I froze for a moment. For some reason I wasn't expecting him to ask me that...but then again, I wasn't expecting to be having this conversation with John Lennon in the first place...I supposed I had to be truthful. "Um..." I started. "Paul, actually."

John laughed. "What, that dorky bugga?" I was glad he wasn't offended.

"Yes, him," I said." I mean, not that I don't like all of you, but Paul's just my favorite."

"And who's yer second favorite?" asked John with a grin on his face.

"I really haven't thought about that yet," I said. I really haven't! Do people really need a second favorite Beatle?

"Well, ye might want to start love," said John, winking. We laughed. "Hey, I've got to go prepare for the next scene with the boys. I guess I'll see you then!"

"See you!" I called. I waited till he was completely out of earshot until I screamed and jumped up and down. I just had a full-on conversation with John Lennon! I still felt kind of stupid for telling him my favorite Beatle was Paul, but he seemed okay with the whole thing. I must have been making quite a racket, because soon after that, Gwen and Pattie came rushing to me as if they thought something was wrong.

"Eileen, are you okay?" asked Gwen. "Pattie and I heard you screaming and-" she stopped and smiled wryly. "You were talking to him, weren't you?"

"Talking to who?" I asked.

"Aw, come on Eileen, don't play dumb! Talking to John!" said Gwen.

I nodded. The girls squealed. "Pattie, why are _you_ so impressed?" I asked. "I wasn't the one getting goo-goo eyes from one of them!" As expected, Pattie turned red.

"You two are so lucky," said Gwen rolling her eyes. "You two get a Beatle, and I only get my crazy boyfriend back home!" Gwen's boyfriend was a little nuts. Not in a pyycho rapist way, but along the lines of Gwen crazy. They were good for each other and loved each other very much, but I assumed that Gwen had forgotten all about him upon meeting The Beatles.

I ignored her and looked at Pattie. "So Pat, did you get a date?"

Pattie laughed. "No, in fact all he really said was in stutters and short sentences!"

"George Harrison, stutter?" I said, very interested.

Pattie nodded. "Yep!" She paused. "But he is cute, and I really hope that he talks to me again."

"You're stealing my man, Pattie!" joked Gwen.

"Aw, bugga off Gwen," said Pattie, punching her softly in the arm.

"Don't be jealous girls!" I said. But it really didn't do any good. They spoke about it all the way down to the next set.


	5. Chapter 5

"You told him that Paul was your favorite Beatle?" Gwen shouted at me when we were in the train compartment waiting for the next scene to start shooting. "You're daft!"

"Aw, lay off Gwen!" I shouted. "I can't lie, you know that!"

"But Gwen does have a point," said Pattie, more calmly that me and Gwen. "I told George he was my favorite right away when he got the guts to ask me."

"That's cause he _is_your favorite Pattie," I sighed. After that, we decided to give up on the conversation. It was almost impossible to hold one! The compartment was filled with excited and squirmy models that just couldn't wait to get their hands on a Beatle, even if he wasn't their favorite. "God I can't wait till we're out of here," I muttered.

"I'm right with you," said Pattie. I could tell that she was ready to blow. Gwen grunted. She must have still been disappointed that I told John that Paul was my favorite. Soon, the scene officially started, and John and Paul came bustling in looking for Paul's lost "grandfather." John, of course, was pretending to be a prisoner, and much to my disappointment, kneeled down in front of Pattie instead of me. But why was I disappointed about that? She was the easiest to get to anyway...it was probably mostly because Paul didn't even spare a passing glance.

"Wow, I'm glad that's done!" I said as we walked (or tripped rather, judging by the hordes of screaming fangirls) out of the compartment. I quickly checked myself in the mirror by the door. My hair was a mess! Damn those girls! Ah well, that's what a brush is for! I combed my hair neatly again and went to walk off with Gwen and Pattie, but I couldn't find them! They must have been swept off with the rest of the girls. I'd find them, we had the same hotel room anyway. As I turned to walk off set, I bumped into two tall (and not to mention rather tough) objects. One of them spoke.

"Oy, Paul, there she is!" spoke one of them, who turned out to be John. "Our Eileen!"

I wasn't sure how much I liked being called "our Eileen" by John Lennon, but I didn't object. He was obviously kidding around. "Hi John," I said casually, which was surprising to me, because I was still a little starstruck about the while "bloody hell I'm meeting The Beatles" thing.

I know John had said it, but I wasn't fully aware that the other thing I bumped into was Paul McCartney until he spoke. "Yeah, I remember you," he said. He spoke to me! I thought I was going to pass out!

"It's nice to meet you," I said.

"Well, I do believe we've met before," said Paul, grinning. Oh, I swear, I saw and heard angels around him! "Just not properly introduced."

"Oh," I said. I held out my hand out of pure impulse for him to shake it, which was probably not the smartest thing to do in my book. "I'm Eileen Carter,"

To my surprise (and great pleasure) Paul took my hand and shook it. "I'm Paul McCartney! There, now we know each other!"

"I'm not sure she needed to know yer name," said John, looking disgruntled for some reason. Was he jealous? Maybe he wanted to be my exclusive Beatle or something. Or maybe it was the fact that I told him my favorite Beatle was Paul. Maybe Gwen was right about that. I felt very stupid.

"Oh, it's okay John," I said. "He was just being polite."

"Yeah, ye hear that!" said Paul, thumping John on the back. He still looked mildly peeved. "What's wrong son?" asked Paul.

"Oh, nothing," said John, suddenly happy again. "Just been a tough day."

"Ah," said Paul. "Well, we've got to run, hopefully we'll talk again soon!"

"I'd love to," I said. I felt the color rising in my cheeks. Paul wanted to talk to me again. Why didn't I feel that way when John said he wanted to? Did I? I really didn't remember...

"Bye Eileen," said John, smiling. Both of them walked away. After they were gone, I took the opportunity to search for Gwen and Pattie. I tried to think like them, but it was impossible. I didn't have Gwen's witty mind, and Pattie didn't really have a place that she liked to hang around. So I just ended up walking around the train set. It was then that I ran into the last person I wanted to. Jerri.

Of course, she greeted me with her humungous smile. That smile made me want to get sick all over her perfect face. "Hello Eileen!" came her overly-sunny greeting.

"Oh, hi Jerri," I said quickly. I began to walk past her, but she stopped me.

"What's the rush?" she asked.

"Looking for my friends," was my rushed reply. I really didn't want to stay and talk to her.

"Oh," she said, suddenly dull. "You mean the small blonde and the-er-overly-happy brunette?"

I wanted to be smart and say that the "overly-happy brunette" was standing right in front of me, but somehow I restrained myself. "Yeah," I said instead.

"I haven't seen the brunette-"

"Gwen," I corrected.

Jerri sighed. "Fine-Gwen, but I did see the blonde go over in that direction." she pointed over in the direction that led off the train.

"Thanks!" I shouted as I immediately shot off in the direction of Jerri's thin finger. Free at last! "Pattie?" I shouted, hoping she'd hear. "Pattie, where are you?" My question was answered. I found Pattie sitting on a bench in the station, gazing at something. Much to my expectations, it was George, who seemed to have no idea that he was being watched.

"There you are Pattie," I said quietly, as to not attract George's attention. I sat down next to her. "I've been looking all over for you!"

Pattie said nothing, but let out a long sigh of longing.

I sighed too, but it was an impatient sigh. "Look, Pat, if you like him so much, just go and talk to him again!"

Pattie looked at me, her blue eyes agleam. "It was easier to talk to him last time because he got pushed at me." She took her eyes off me and plastered them on George again.

"D'ya want me to give ya a push then?" I asked sarcastically.

Pattie rolled her eyes. "No," she said. She sighed again. "Wow...Eileen, you're so lucky that one of them actually fancies you."

I laughed. "One of them fancies me?" I said. "You think one of them fancies me? Oh, Pattie, you are _daft!_"

Pattie giggled. "Well, it's true! You should see the way John looks at you!"

I admit I was a little crestfallen that it wasn't Paul that Pattie thought fancied me, but I let that go for now. "He doesn't look at me that way!" I said.

"Fine, whatever you want to think," said Pattie, dropping the subject. We sat quiet for a moment.

"Hey, Pattie," I said. "Do you know where Gwen went?"

"Oh, she went back to the hotel room," said Pattie. "How did you find out where I was?"

I told her all about the run-in with Jerri Dunn.

"Oh," said Pattie. "Yeah, I'm not sure about her. Gwen absolutely loathes her."

"I'm starting to see why," I said. "Well, I think I'm gonna go back to the hotel now, you coming?"

Pattie shook her head. "No, I think I'll keep up working up the courage to talk to George," she said. She gave me a wry look. "And think about what I said about John. I know you like Paul, but just think."

"Aw, come off it Pattie," I said. "You're starting to sound like Gwen.

Pattie shrugged. "I try."

"Too hard," I said. I got up off the bench and started to walk to the hotel. I was taking Pattie's advice (subconsciously of course) and thinking about what she said about John. It would defiantly explain his sour attitude toward Paul when he was talking to me. But then again, I didn't know him all that well, even though I had spoken to him a few times. It would be very nice for him to fancy me, but it would probably be a little too much at the moment. Ah well. Things do tend to happen.  
When I got back to the room, I found Gwen asleep on the floor. That scene must have been a little too much for the poor thing! I felt a little tired myself, to be honest. I sat down on the bed, and the phone rang. I picked it up.

"Hello?" I said.

"I'll be coming for you," said a creepy, foreboding voice into the receiver. Then, the line went blank, and all I heard was the dial tone.

"Um..okay?" I said to the blank receiver. "See ya then." I was scared. What the hell was that? Who the hell was that, for that matter? I was thinking about waking Gwen up and telling her about it, but I didn't. I figured it may have been a wrong number anyway. Why would someone want to "be coming" for me anyway? I slowly drifted off to an early sleep, all thoughts of John out of my head, and thoughts about the mysterious phone call taking its place.


	6. Chapter 6

After a few hours, I woke up. I looked at the clock and saw it was only 9:15. I sighed. I must have gotten to bed early...what happened earlier anyway? I searched through the deeper recesses of my mind for the answer. Oh yeah, that creepy phone call. I had tried to forget about it, but it seemed impossible. I looked around for Gwen and Pattie. I could tell they were here; I heard their voices, but they were in a different room. I couldn't tell what they were talking about. It was 9:18 now. Early for me to go to sleep, but I couldn't help myself. I was exhausted! Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up a few hours later, when the clock said 9:30. It had to be 9:30 a.m. because there was light shining through the curtains. Surprisingly enough, Gwen and Pattie were up already and having breakfast. Sure, I was happy I didn't have to get to the nearly impossible task of waking them up, but I also felt out of a job. How long have they been up? That, along with many other unanswerable questions, flooded my brain. But I tried not to think too hard. It was hazardous to me this early in the morning. I rose out of bed, feeling unnaturally groggy. Why? Oh. I was thinking about that phone call all damn night long. I didn't get a wink of sleep! No matter. I got dressed and brushed my hair, so you couldn't tell how much sleep I lost.

"Hey there Eileen," said Gwen with a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "Bout time you got up!"

I grunted and helped myself to some bacon.

"What's wrong?" asked Pattie, concerned.

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired." Okay, half-lied.

"You sure?" asked Pattie again. Gwen and I heard you mumbling things in the kip all night long."

"I was?" I asked, clueless. "What was I saying?"

"It was impossible to understand," said Gwen. "Just nonsense stuff."

"Oh. Okay," I said. The rest of the morning was silent. All through it I was wondering whether or not I should tell them about the phone call, but I didn't. Soon, all too soon, we were off to the set of the picture. Funny, it was supposed to be this great film, but it was nameless. I laughed at it, and it seemed to make Pattie and Gwen a little happier, due to the fact that I was somber all morning. Today was a simpler scene, not a lot of lines for anyone. It just involved The Beatles playing a new song called "I Should Have Known Better" in a luggage car on the train while a bunch of fangirls watched. Nothing huge.

"Hi Dick!" I greeted as I saw him walk towards the set with all the girls.

"Hello Eileen," he said back. He directed his attention to the rest of the girls. "Now girls," he said. "You will only come up to the bars on my cue, understand?" The girls nodded and agreed, and the scene started.

It was a very simple scene. The boys said a few lines, played cards, switched to playing the song for the girls, who had by now crowded around the cart. They actually were supposed to start watching them play cards. I swear, some of these girls would gladly watch the guys take a piss. Somehow, Dick gave Pattie the OK to actually sit inside the car. Surprisingly, she didn't go straight to George, but instead sat closer to Paul and Ringo. Poor shy thing. Soon it was over, and all the girls walked reluctantly off set.

"So you found yer friends, did ye?" asked John, who had snuck up behind me.

I jumped. "Oh, yeah, I did." I guess I owed Jerri something.

"Have I seen you before?" asked Ringo. Wow. He actually recognized me! Just like all of them!

"Yeah, of course!" said George. "She was one of the birds up front when we were getting 'chased', remember? All three of them actually." Gwen giggled and poor Pattie turned tomato red and looked at the floor.

"Well, we've gotta go," said Paul, grinning at me. Butterflies.

"Hopefully we'll see ya birds later," said Ringo. Aw, he's such a sweetie!

"Let's not keep them waiting too long then," said John. They walked away, and as George passed, he winked. I heard a giggle behind me, but not from Gwen this time. Instead, to my surprise, from Pattie. She was bright red, with her small hand over her mouth, _giggling_. Hearing Pattie giggle like that was _strange!__  
_

A few minutes later, we were back at our hotel room. I kept glancing over at the phone, as if waiting for it to ring. That's when Gwen broke the silence.

"Eileen, you've been sitting there just staring off into space for ages now. What's wrong?" she said.

I sighed. Maybe I should tell her. "I got this phone call yesterday when I got back to the room after filming."

"A phone call?" asked Pattie. "From who?"

I shrugged. "No clue," I said.

"What'd they say?" asked Gwen urgently.

"Oh, something like 'I'll be coming for you' or whatever. Scared the crap out of me."

"It'd scare me too," said Gwen. "Maybe they got a wrong number?"

"Come on Gwen," said Pattie. "Who would call someone with a message like that and dial a wrong number?"

"Point," said Gwen, looking defeated. "Did it sound like a man or a woman?"

I shrugged again. "Dunno," I said. "It didn't exactly sound like a woman, but it was kind of shrill. Kind of like a hiss or something."

"It could have been one of those he-shes," suggested Gwen.

"One of those _whats?_" asked a disgusted, but amused Pattie.

"Ya know, he-shes," explained Gwen. "Those men who get their-" outside, a truck made a very loud revving noise-"cut off so they're actually women."

Pattie and I just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. "How do you know this stuff," I finally said.

Gwen shrugged. "I know a guy."

"Please don't tell us about him," I said.

Gwen was about to say something else when the phone rang. All three of us froze in our places, staring at the phone.

"D'ya think?" asked Pattie.

I remained silent, eyes wide open.

"Answer it," said Gwen.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for the phone. I picked it up, and with a shaking hand, held it to my ear. "Hello?" I answered in a weak voice.

"'Ello?" said the voice on the other line. "Is Miss Eileen Carter home?"

"Yes," I replied shakily. "This is Eileen Carter."

"Ah, good!" said the voice, suddenly very cheery. "It's John, ya know, that Beatle guy?"

I quickly let out a relieved breath. "It's John," I mouthed to Gwen and Pattie, who both looked somewhere between relieved and ecstatic. "Hi John!" I said. "How'd you get the hotel room number?" Had he asked someone for it?

"Well," said John, "It seems our George is more of a ladies' man than we thought!"

Somewhere else in the room where John was, I heard someone, who must have been George, shout, "Hey!"

"Well it's true!" John shouted back. "Ye there, Eileen?" said John to me.

"Yeah," I said. "So, George is a ladies' man?"

"Oh, yeah!" said John, amused. "You know that other blonde bird you hang out with?"

I laughed and looked over at Pattie. She must've known what I was laughing about, because she blushed and looked down. "George got her number?" I asked.

"Yeah!" said John. I laughed again.

"So, what's up?" I asked. Wow, I couldn't believe I was actually saying that to a Beatle. It seemed too unreal!

"Oh, actually, the boys and I were wondering if you and yer friends wanted to come up and watch us play some songs we're filming for the picture," said John. "It would be a great thing if you did, I'm sure your blonde friend would love it!"

"Pattie," I said. "And she would!" By this point, all thoughts of the mysterious phone call were out of my head. But what was now in its place were the things that Pattie had said before. The things she said about John fancying me. I found it highly unlikely, but the thoughts were swarming through my head like angry bees. I didn't fancy John back if he did, that spot in my heart seemed to be reserved for Paul, but I still wondered.

"I'd love it!" I said. "I'll tell the girls and we'll be on our way as soon as we can!"

"That's great news love," said John. "See you later!" He hung up. I put the phone back on the receiver and sighed.

"You'll never guess what he called for!" I said.

"I see he told you how he got the number," said Pattie sheepishly.

"Never mind how he got the number!" said Gwen. "What'd he want?"

"He wants us to come to the set and watch them play songs they're filming for the picture!" All three of us squealed at the same time.

"That's great!" said Gwen. "I've always wanted to see them preform!"

"And just for us, right Eileen?" said Pattie.

"Yes, just for us and the cameramen!" I said. We squealed again.

"When do we leave?" asked Gwen.

"Right now!" I grabbed both of them by the arm and we were off to the set. We followed directions left by signs that the boys had hastily scribbled. My heart was fluttering! They actually wanted us to come that bad! I felt totally different, not myself. I felt out of my shell! When we finally got to the stage that the boys were at, I saw John's face light up when he saw me.

"Eileen!" he said, coming down off the stage with Paul. I could tell John was going to give me a hug, but Paul got to me first, and I saw John put on a very sour face. When Paul hugged me, I felt feather-light, except for my stomach, which I thought was going to come out the other end.

"It's nice to see you again, Eileen," said Paul.

"Likewise," I said, grinning. To my dismay, he left, but George took his place next to me.

"Thanks for making Pattie like you so much that you got the hotel room number," I said to him.  
George smiled. "Aw, it was nothin' really," he said. His accent was so much different than any of the others. Heavier, a bit. He turned to me. "You know that John and Paul are all over you."

"All over me?" I asked.

George nodded. "Yeah, they fancy you, both of them," he said. "Ringo and I are betting. I've got me money on Paul, but Ringo's betting on John."

I rolled my eyes. Normally I wouldn't like being the subject of a bet, but somehow, this was funny.

"Which one do you fancy?" asked George.

"Um..." It was my turn to blush now.

"It's okay, ye don't have to tell me," said George. "Oh, we've gotta set up some more on stage. Enjoy!"

"I will!" I shouted up at the stage. On his way up, I saw George greet Pattie briefly.

"Yep, those two are hittin' it off just fine," said someone next to me. I jumped and saw Ringo.

"They may," I said. "I hope they do, George seems nice."

"Yeah, a bit," said Ringo. "They're both shy, aren't they?" I laughed, but then Ringo had to set up as well. Soon, they had started playing. The first song was called "If I Fell." It was a ballad that John sang with harmony from Paul. I could sense John's eyes on me for just about the whole song. It sent chills down my spine.  
Next, after the set was changed around a little, came another song called "And I Love Her." It was a pretty ballad that Paul sang alone. It was softer than "If I Fell," and had a sort of Spanish feel to it. With this song, I didn't just feel Paul's eyes-I could see them looking at me the whole time. It was as if he was singing to me! I loved it.  
After that, we had to actually move to a different set. I spoke to Ringo on the way there.

"It's sounding really nice," I said to him.

Ringo smiled. I swear, he wasn't my favorite Beatle, but that smile should win an award of some kind. It made me smile too! "Aw, really, it's not that great," he said.

I laughed at his modesty. "Are you kidding?" I said. "It is too!"

"Fine, whatever you say," said Ringo. "I'm just glad they're not having me sing for this."

"Why?" I asked. "You sing fine! I love 'Boys'!"

Ringo smiled again. "Thanks," he said. "I just get really nervous."

"No need!" I said. "People love you too, you know." We finally got to the set and set up.

The last song was one George sang called "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You." It was more upbeat than the first two, and Pattie grew more and more excited every time George glanced her way. This song was fun, I have to say, but I think I liked Paul's song the best.

"Wow, glad that's done," said Paul, putting his bass back in its case.

"Ye've said it Paul," said George. "I'm glad to throw in the towel for now."

"Easy for you to say," said John. "I've got a party to go to tonight, so I defiantly can't throw in the towel!"

"Whose party?" asked Ringo.

"Oh, friend of mine," said John.

"Thanks for having us come today," I said.

"No problem!" said John. "It's always a pleasure having you beautiful birds over!"

"Ah now Johnny," said Paul coolly. "Don't try to win all of em over!"

"He won't listen," said George, rolling his eyes. He turned to us. "He's only playing."

I nodded.

Pattie and George spoke for a few moments, and then Pattie said, "Hey, Eileen, I'm going with George. You and Gwen have fun!"

"Actually," said Gwen. "I'm getting dragged along with Ringo!" I laughed. She and Ringo had been talking a lot.

"Kay, I'll see you tomorrow!" I said. In a way, as I walked out the door, I felt disappointed that Paul or John didn't ask me to come anywhere with them. Ah well, Pattie and George were hitting it off pretty well, and Gwen was probably dragging Ringo along. It probably wasn't the boys' choice. It was really dark out now. There were a few streetlamps lit, but it was still pretty hard to see. I tried to focus on the road ahead of me, but it was hard. I soon found myself in a dark alleyway, where I had no idea where I was. That's when I heard the voice.

"I told you I was coming for you," said a cold, hissing voice. That voice came from a dark figure that was standing behind me. I wheeled around so quickly, I lost my balance and slipped, hitting my head on the ground. I didn't pass out, but I saw stars. After the stars passed, I got a good glimpse of the phone-caller. I couldn't tell if it was male or female, and its face was covered in a black ski mask. It was also holding a gun.

"Who are you?" I shrieked.

"I can't tell you that," hissed the stranger. "It'd ruin my fun!"

It cocked a bullet in its gun. It aimed the gun right at me. "Sweet dreams."

"Help!" I shrieked, but it did no good. With a loud crack, the phone-caller pulled the trigger, and I felt a tremendous pain shoot through my left shoulder. I cried out, but soon, everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

My thoughts came back in an illegible blur. The last thing I remembered before everything went black was a sharp, shooting, gut-wrenching pain through my left shoulder. I remembered a little bit before that also. A harsh, hissing, sexless voice coming from a dark figure...I tried to put two and two together...oh yeah. That dark figure shot me. I tried to remember why. I don't think that figure, whatever it was, gave me a reason. Would it come back if it found out I wasn't dead? It obviously wanted me dead. But why? What did I ever do to it? Maybe it mistook me for a different person, or it was just pissed off at something and wanted to take its anger out on someone. Whatever the reason, it scared the hell out of me.

I soon became aware of a faint, steady beeping sound. I also heard voices all around me. They sounded rushed, blurred, worried, confused, just everything. Oh great! Was I going insane on top of the frikin' bullet to my arm? I never told you my life was easy...I also noticed finally that my eyes were closed. So that's why everything still looked dark. I slowly, but laboriously opened them. My vision was still a spot blurry, but I could make out some basic figures.

Right away, I could tell that two of them were female, and one was male. But who were they? I couldn't tell yet. I heard one of the female figures speak.

"Hey, Gwen, she opened her eyes!" exclaimed one of them quietly.

"Really?" said the second one. Wait a sec...Gwen! That must mean that the other female was Pattie! They must have found me! But who was the male?  
"Give her some space girls," said the male figure. God, I knew that voice! Who the bloody hell was he? I tried to narrow down my list of guys that I knew that would have cared enough to save my life. There was my dad, but I never really see him anymore. There was Dick, but he was probably busy. Man, I was missing someone really big, wasn't I?

"Right, sorry John," said Gwen.

Wait...JOHN! John Lennon, from The Beatles, who I just met a few days ago on the film set! He was here? Surly he didn't care enough for me to help save my life! Did he? My mind went back to something that Gwen told me...or was it Pattie...God I'm confused.

My other senses became aware of other things now. I smelt something very sweet, possibly homemade. I could always tell the difference between premade and homemade. It was one of my quirks. My feelings awoke, and where I felt that shooting pain in my shoulder before was now a dull ache. I opened my eyes all the way, and I saw that I was lying in a hospital bed. The beeping was an IV machine. I saw Pattie, Gwen, and John standing over me. Gwen was holding a huge chocolate cake.

"Eileen!" shouted Gwen when I was fully awake. She lunged forward to hug me, but was stopped by John.

"Her shoulder's all wonky, remember?" he said.

"Oh. Right," said Gwen, embarrassed.

"Are you alright Eileen?" asked Pattie.

"I guess so," I grunted. My speech wasn't quite up to par at the moment. "God...I feel like I've been hit by a freight train..."

"Well, ye did get shot by a ravin' lunatic," said John, somehow amused. He was smiling! I felt insulted for all but a second, but then I calmed down again. He was probably just lightning up the situation.

"Do you remember anything?" asked Pattie.

"Yeah," I said.

"You sure?" asked Gwen.

"Yes, I'm sure," I said, getting a little frustrated. "I was shot when I was walking down that dark alley alone." I put a large emphasis on the word "alone." To be honest, I felt a little betrayed. Dumped by my two best friends for boys. So what if they were Beatles? The girls could've at least walked home with me and _then_gone with George and Ringo! Maybe then the shooter would have felt intimidated by my company and not have shot me in the first place.

Gwen must have seen my frustration. "Look, Eileen, we're sorry," she said. "We didn't think."

Pattie agreed. "Yeah mate," she said. "As soon as we found out what happened, we rushed right over. We felt real stupid."

"I even baked you a cake!" said Gwen, showing me her chocolate concoction. I was glad. Gwen was a pretty good cook.

"Thanks guys," I said. "Who found me?"

"Oh, that was John," said Gwen. She pointed over to him, and he put on a very smug smile.

I smiled also, but not smugly. I was grateful actually, and not to mention starsruck. He didn't just help save my life-he actually did!

"How did you find me?" I asked.

John shrugged. "I was going that way to that party, but I heard voices and screaming and all that, and when I heard the gunshot, I rushed over, and I saw you just lying there. I didn't know if you were dead or not...but I brought you here anyway!" He finished with another wide, goofy grin.

I laughed. "Well, thanks a lot," I said. "How was the party?"

"Ah, I didn't go," said John, swatting his hand. "From what I heard before I went, it seemed like a huge drag." He paused. "I couldn't go to a bad party, it'd ruin my lovely reputation!" He put on that goofy grin again. I was learning to love that grin.

"Well, thanks," I said.

"No problem at all love, I'm a professional!" said John in a posh accent. I laughed.

Gwen looked at her watch. "Oops!" she said. "Sorry Eileen, Pattie and I have to go!"

"Where?" I asked.

"Oh, we have to do a photoshoot," said Pattie, checking her hair in her little compact mirror. "You'd be coming too, only you're hospitalized."

"Aw, that's too bad," I said, covering up my relief. I was glad to get a short break from modeling.

"It's okay mate," said Gwen, handing me and John a slice of her cake. "If anything interesting happens, we'll tell ya. Eat up!" With that, Pattie and Gwen had left, leaving me alone with John. We didn't really talk at first, we just nonchalantly ate the cake. It was really good; Gwen was a really good cook. The silence was getting to me, so I decided to break it.

"This is good cake," I said. Geez, out of everything I could say to John Lennon, and it was about the damn cake.

John nodded. "It is good. This Gwen bird of yours has a way with food."

"Yeah," I said.

"So," said John. "Why did you finally decide to talk to me?"

"Oh," I said. "I was just getting tired to listening to the sound of silence."

John's eyes got big, and I knew he was just about to make a joke. About what, though? "You mean that new song from Simon and Garfunkel?" he said in mock outrage.

"But I love that song!"

"Oh," I muttered. "Oops." I really didn't mean to say "the sound of silence." I liked that song too, but it didn't register in my head what had come out of my mouth. I was genuinely embarrassed now. I felt my face get hot-was I blushing? I better not have been.

John laughed. "No need to blush, love! I was only kidding!" Damn. I was blushing.

"Okay," I mumbled, still embarrassed. I decided to change the subject as soon as possible. "So, what exactly did they do tome here while I was out?"

John shrugged. "All I know is that they took the bullet out," he said. "Heavy piece of lead, that. They had to spend ages disinfecting yer shoulder. It swelled a little, but it went down."

I flinched. Whoever did that to me really didn't wish me well. "How long was I here?" I asked.

"I'd say about eleven hours," said John. He saw my confused expression. "You were out for most of the time."

"Oh," I said again. I was beginning to feel extremely stupid.

"No need to feel dumb," said John, sensing my embarrassment. "You were shot in the arm, you have some rights now."

I rolled my eyes. "I guess you're right," I said. "Who do you think did it?"

John shrugged again. "Dunno," he said. "Did ye see any facial features?"

I shook my head. "No," I said. "It had its face covered with a ski mask."

John looked amused. "Ah, so he's an 'it' now, eh?"

"Well, yeah!" I said. "I personally can't tell what it is!"

"There _are_ways of telling you know, love," said John with a wry smile. I knew exactly what he meant.

I punched him in the shoulder with my good arm. "John, you pervert!" I said.

"But aren't I right?" he asked.

I sighed. No getting out of this one. "Yeah, I guess you are," I said.

John winced and rubbed his shoulder. "Ya know, for a bird with an injured arm, you can sure pack a punch," he said. "That bloody hurt!"

"My piano playing might've helped me in arm strength," I said. Wow I was getting ridiculous. Sure, you use your arms when you play piano, but can that really make you stronger? Probably not.

"You play piano?" asked John, interested.

"Yeah," I said.

"Sing?"

I snorted. "Oh, God no!" I said. "Unless you like girls who sing like screaming cats!"

"I might be able to manage that," said John. "But you are into music, right?"

"Yes, very much," I said.

"What songs can you play?" The conversation went on like this for quite a while. John seemed to be very interested about my musical ability, which, might I add, wasn't anything special. He was like a kid at Christmas when I told him that Buddy Holly played a huge part of me wanting to learn music. Apparently he liked Buddy Holly as well.

"Blimey, Buddy Holly is my favorite!" said John when I told him. Before any of us knew it, it was already late at night. "Well," said John. "I guess I better get going."

"Yeah, get some rest," I said.

John snorted. "Eileen, I think _you'd_better get some rest!"

"True..." I said. Why did I say such stupid things around him? Whatever the reason, it was driving me nuts.

"Bye," said John. He walked out, and I fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, I found myself on the film set. My shoulder was bandaged up, but I was wearing long sleeves so you couldn't see the bandages. Gwen, Pattie, and I were sitting together at the set, which was a huge stadium filled with scores of other girls, screaming for The Beatles to take the stage.

"You feeling okay?" asked Gwen for the millionth time.

I sighed. "Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm fine."

"Oh, Gwen, give her a break!" said Pattie, who was just about as annoyed as me. "You've been asking her that ever since we got here!" Soon enough, the band showed up and filmed (or played, rather) the final scene we were shooting. It was the finale concert, but I thought there was really no point in it because you couldn't hear a bleeding thing they played because of all those screaming girls.

After a few minutes (they only played about three or four songs), the girls reluctantly left the stadium. On our way out, we ran into Paul. Blush alert.

"Oh, hey," I said breathlessly, trying not to sound starstruck.

"Hey love!" said Paul. "How are you? John told me what happened." That last sentence was spoken with a generous amount of scorn.

"I'm fine," I said. "You guys sounded great!"

Paul smiled, and I floated. "Thanks Eileen." Oh! He said my name! He looked at his watch. "Oh! Sorry love, I've gotta run. Maybe we'll see each other soon!" With that, he rushed off, leaving me and my two friends (mostly me) disappointed. Soon after, the person who I most wanted to see was replaced with the person I least wanted to see. Jerri.

"Hello girls!" she said with her usual overly-sunny smile. Nothing like John's goofy grin. Every time that girl smiled I thought her face was going to split in two. Not that I'd have a problem with that...

"Hey Jerri," I said, in spite of myself. This was never gonna end, was it?

Gwen responded to her with a grunt, and Pattie with a slight nod.

"It's nice to see you too," said Jerri, losing some of her glow. She turned to me, looking concerned. Oh no. Here it comes. "Eileen, are you okay? I heard what happened!" I knew it. Then news of my incident was spreading like wildfire.

"Yeah, everything's good," I said.

"I'm glad!" said Jerri, looking sunny again. "Hey! How would you girls like to join me for lunch today?" Gwen suddenly caught a cold and Pattie quickly explained that she had to stay and take care of her. Bloody smart, those two. I wish I had that quick wit.

"What about you, Eileen?"

Quick, girl! Figure something out! "Ummm..." I said.

"Great!" said Jerri, gripping my hand. I think I squeezed back a little harder than necessary. "I'll see you at twelve sharp!" She grinned and her big hazel eyes sparkled, and with that, she skipped off.

"Why didn't you say something?" said Pattie.

"I couldn't figure anything out!" I said.

"Well, I guess you have no choice but to go," said Gwen.

"Yeah, it'd be rude to decline," I said. "What time is it now?"

Pattie checked her watch." 'Bout eleven."

"Great," I said. "I have one more hour to spend Jerri-free." I was going to make it a good hour.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, so maybe I didn't live my free hour to the fullest. All I did was read a stupid magazine and get ready to go. Where Jerri was dragging me was a (from what I understand) very upscale restaurant called "Jeanette's". "Jeanette's" was a place where you had to dress up to be able to get in. I decided to raid my suitcase to see if I had anything to wear. I never really dressed up, except for modeling, but none of those clothes were really mine; they belonged to the agency. It was hard to find anything, but I finally settled for a pale pink dress with white lace at the bottom and at the U-neck neckline. It went up to just above my knees, and was about the fanciest dress I had.

I tied my hair up into an uncharacteristic ponytail held back with a matching pink ribbon. I did not look like me at all. I tried combing my fringe to the side a little, but it didn't look much different. Now for makeup, the thing I hated most. I settled for some light blush, a little black eyeliner, and pink lipstick. Nothing special. For shoes, I just slipped on my usual white flats. I took a breath and walked out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Eileen!" shouted Gwen, who rushed up to greet me as soon as I walked into her line of site. "You look _absolutely gorgeous_!"

I rolled my eyes and looked down. "Whatever."

"I just came to wish you good luck," said Pattie, walking into the room. "You look very nice by the way, Eileen."

"Nothing special," was my bland reply.

"Should one of us drive you?" asked Gwen. "Because you look about ready to kill yourself."

Pattie giggled, but not in the way she did when she saw George. This time it was in good humor. "Yeah Eileen, we don't want you getting into a car wreck to avoid lunch with Jerri!" she said.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny girls," I said. "I'll drive myself. The very worst that can happen is I'll choke on a chip."

Okay, so that didn't happen. I have to say I was disappointed. My last stay in a hospital wasn't that bad after all. I felt extreme reluctance as I climbed out of my car and stepped onto the pavement outside the restaurant, but I couldn't refuse to go. It would only make Jerri hound me more. I sighed and walked through the door.

The first word that escaped my lips when I saw what was behind those doors was, "Posh." Everywhere I looked, I saw flash people all dressed up, crystal chandeliers, other fancy decor, even a string quartet! As I was staring wide-eyed at all that was around me, I completely forgot I was standing at the front where a man was waiting rather impatiently to show me to my table.

"Excuse me miss?" he said sharply. That brought me to my senses, and my gaze snapped immediately back to him.

"Sorry sir," I muttered, embarrassed.

"Are you waiting for a table?" the man asked.

"Yessir," I said, still shaken. "I'm with the Dunn party," I said, using the name Jerri had given me.

"Right this way," said the man. He got up and showed me to a table right by the string quartet. Sitting there was Jerri, looking her usual happy and pretty self.  
She was dressed in a tight, short green dress with a V-neck collar, short sleeves, and a darker green stripe around the middle. She grinned hugely when she saw me.

"Hi Eileen!" she said, hugging me. I squeezed back a little tighter than necessary again. "You look marvelous! Pink really works on you!"

"Thanks," I said, trying not to sound smug. It was not often that I got a complement on my looks outside of modeling. "You look nice too."

"Thanks," said Jerri sweetly. Sickeningly sweet. "So, how's Gwen?"

Oh. I forgot she was supposed to be sick! "She's fine," I said. "She just didn't feel like going out anytime soon, and she doesn't like to be alone, so Pattie stayed with her."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Jerri said. "Sit down Eileen, you must be exhausted from getting yourself ready for now. I say, you should tie your hair back more often, you have some very nice facial features!"

I smiled as I sat down. I was beginning to think that Jerri was just being nice to me about my appearance to make up for my normal homely looks. "Nice place," I said.

Jerri giggled. "Oh, yes, it is," she said.

"I like the music," I said. "Isn't this more of a dinner place?"

"Oh, people eat here anytime," said Jerri. "I was planning on dinner, but the food can get a little pricey around that time."

"I see." It was quiet for a moment, but then Jerri spoke again.

"I am really sorry about what happened to you last night," she said. "The shooting. Why would anyone want to shoot you? You're such a nice, caring person!"

"Dunno," I said.

"You're lucky that John Lennon was there to save you," she said again.

Huh? "How did you know he came?" I asked.

"Oh, it's spreading like wildfire," said Jerri, swatting a small hand. "It's just fab that you have a Beatle on your side. Is John you're favorite?"

I really didn't know how to answer that one. Would my favorite be the one I had a crush on, or the one who saved my life? "Yeah," I said quickly, trying to avoid explanation on why he wasn't my favorite if he saved me from the phantom phone call shooter.

"Oh, _really,"_said Jerri. "Just now?"

"No, he's always been," I lied again. Shoot, why did I have to be so weak? Man, did I really think the word "shoot?" Oh brother, I'm losing it...

"Do you think he may like you?" asked Jerri. God, why did this girl have to get so personal?

"No," I said. "He doesn't know me that well, and I'm probably not his type."

"Then why did he save you?" asked Jerri again. She asked too many questions!

"Because he's a nice, caring person who saw someone in trouble, so he acted," I said as if I was talking to a child, but Jerri didn't seem to notice.

"Okay then," said Jerri. That seemed to end _that _conversation.

"But are you alright though," said Jerri, sounding concerned. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

_Yeah, stop asking me stupid questions!_"No," I said. "It doesn't even hurt."

"That's good," she said smiling. The waiter came and took out orders.

"Oh," said Jerri. "I heard that the salmon is just _divine!_I'll have some of that. Eileen, may I recommend the filet minion for you, it's heavenly. Yes, sir, one salmon dish for me, and a filet minion for my friend. Medium-rare, please. Thank you."

I sat there dumbstruck. I felt bad for her boyfriend, whoever he was. I made a silent prayer for him.

"What would you like to drink, ladies?" asked the young waiter, who seemed very amused, and flirting with Jerri a bit.

"Oh, I'll have white wine," said Jerri. "Goes well with the fish, you know. And Eileen will have some red wine. Can you make sure it's light on the alcohol content sir, she has to drive home."

"I'll get that ready for you right away, ladies," said the waiter. He didn't leave without exchanging a wink between him and Jerri. Oh, shooter, whoever you are, just shoot me right now. All through lunch, I wondered what kind of show Jerri would put on ordering dessert.

She did put on a bit of a show, but I think she was a little out of steam by the end of everything. I tried to drink as little of the wine as possible, just in case the flirting waiter didn't take up Jerri's request on light alcohol. I didn't even think it was possible to do that to a drink, anyway. Soon, to my relief, I was back in my car driving back to the hotel room. I was cruising smoothly down the road when I heard a noise in the engine. The car puttered down to a complete stop.

"Damn," I muttered as I got out. I managed to push the car to the side of the road. There, I was able to see what was wrong with it. The gas tank was empty. Great. Could this day get any worse? I waited and waited. I must have been at that restaurant with Jerri for a while, because the time on my watch said 3:30. I sighed. "Guess I'll have to wait," I said to myself.

Hours passed. It was sunset. Gwen and Pattie must have been worried sick about me now. I would have been surprised if they didn't have a search party out looking for me. Soon, it was pitch-black out. Despite the huge lunch I had, I was starving. My stomach was growling angrily at me, but I couldn't stop it. I sat on the hood of my useless car, practically holding back tears. Why must this happen to me?

After a moment, I started hearing movement. I couldn't tell what it was, but I was still cautious. "Hello?" I asked, my voice cracking. The next think I know, I hear a gunshot and a bullet flies right passed my arm and hits the car. Perfect! Now I have a bullet hole in it! Aw well, better the car than my arm. I screamed, and more bullets came. Miracleaously, I managed to run fast a wild enough that they all missed me. The shooter chased me all down the street, but it had shorter legs than me, so I had the advantage.

"Ha!" I shouted smugly back at the shooter. Soon after, I found myself face down on a soft surface.

The soft surface yelled, "Oy!" I jumped off him immediately. He stood up. It was Ringo. "Hey, I remember you," he said. "What were you running from?" There was another gunshot that answered his question.

"No time to just stand here!" I shrieked. Another gunshot fired, and I grabbed his arm and ran off. I was beginning to tire out, but Ringo must have noticed because he picked me up bridal-style and ran carrying me. Somehow, we managed to lose the shooter. We stood at an ally wall, breathing hard.

"Oy, what happened?" asked a voice. It was John.

"Moron tried to kill 'er again," said Ringo breathlessly.

"Again?" asked another voice. George. "Why?"

"Someone doesn't like her," said Paul.

"We need to keep 'er safe," said John. "Thanks Ringo."

"No problem."

I was beginning to think that this would never end.


	9. Chapter 9

It was very late when I finally got back to the hotel room. The boys drove me back in one of their cars (I didn't know whose it was and I didn't ask) since mine was out of gas and full of bullet holes. All four of them walked with me to the door. As soon as I put the lock in and opened it, I was jumped on by Gwen.

"Eileen!" she yelled, hugging me tight. "Where were you? We were worried sick!"

"My car broke down, everything's alright," I said as we parted the hug.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay," said Gwen.

"Yeah, we were about to set up a search party," Pattie interjected. I knew it.

"Yeah, if it weren't for Ringo, well-she probably wouldn't be here," said George, out of nowhere. Gwen and Pattie weren't aware of the presence of The Beatles.  
The two girls froze in shock for a moment, but then remembered that they had met before. There was a silence for a moment, and then Pattie spoke. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Well, apparently some bloody moron was shooting at her again," said John.

"What?" shrieked Gwen. "Eileen, was it the same person?"

I tried to think back. It was hooded, it had the same hissing voice..."Yeah," I said. "Yeah, it was the same person."

"What do you mean if it weren't for Ringo though?" asked Pattie. Gwen nodded in encouragement.

"From what we know," started Paul. His voice made my heart flutter. "Eileen was running like a madman—woman, sorry-from the shooter, and she lost track of her sight and tripped and fell on Ringo."

"So I helped her escape," finished Ringo.

Gwen suddenly looked at me coyly. "So, Eileen," she said. "How does it feel to be saved by two Beatles?"

"Oh, shut up Gwen," said Pattie. "This isn't the time!"

"She's right," I said.

"Do you have any idea of who he could be?" asked John. He said this with a sort of spiteful tone of voice, like he was mad at the shooter personally.

"Well, I don't really know if it was a he or a she," I said.

"Oh, that's right," said John. "Gwen's little conversation about 'he-shes'." The other boys had blank and disgusted looks on their faces.

"Only you John," said George.

"Don't worry about it," I said, suddenly fiery red. I never blushed, only Pattie did that.

"So, not tight on the gender yet?" asked Paul.

"No," I said.

"We have to narrow down all the possibilities," said Gwen. "D'ya think it's Jerri?"

I snorted. "Her? Definitely not. She probably doesn't know how to hold a gun right."

"Yeah, she wouldn't try to hurt you," said Pattie. She smirked. "She loves you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I heard Paul sing quietly. All of us turned around and looked at him. He smiled and shrugged. "What? I had an urge..." We got passed it immediately. I suddenly remembered that I was stuck out on the side of the road for hours, and I hadn't eaten anything at all since lunch with Jerri at that posh restaurant.

Before I could say I was hungry, my stomach growled angrily, telling everyone what was on my mind. That lightened up the mood considerably, and I ran to the kitchen to find some food as everyone in the room laughed.

The next day, I found myself on the film set with Gwen and Pattie. Every time one of The Beatles passed me, they looked around sharply, as if trying to see if the mysterious shooter was hiding around in some nook or cranny. But it wasn't, and I was glad. Glad, that is, until I saw Jerri sprinting towards us. She obviously heard the news.

"Oh, Eileen, I heard what happened!" she said. "Oh, I was so foolish...if I were polite enough to pick you up instead of have you drive yourself...oh, it wouldn't have happened!"

"It's okay," I said, trying to calm her down. When Jerri got upset, I noticed, her voice got extremely annoying.

"Oh, no it's not!" she said, but she finally let it go. She turned over to Gwen. "Feeling better, love?" she asked in her sugar-coated voice.

Gwen grunted and nodded.

"Her voice is still a little sore," lied Pattie, playing the part up.

"I see," said Jerri. "Well, I guess I better get going now, lots to do!" With that, she skipped off.

When she was out of earshot, Gwen turned to me and said, "That reminds me, Eileen, how was lunch yesterday?"

I laughed and told both of them about what a show she made ordering the food, and how she didn't even give me a choice. We all had a good chuckle about it. But it was soon interrupted by the four boys walking over to us, this time with another man. He was young, but still a little older than the boys. He was short and a little round, but not overly so. He had a sort of commanding leadership quality about him.

"Hey there Eileen," said John.

"Hey John," I said. "What's going on?"

"Should we wait until a better time?" I heard Ringo whisper. George shushed him, and John continued to speak.

"You do know that maniac tried to kill you twice," said John.

"Yeah..." I said. Where was this going?

"So," said Paul. "We were all thinking of ways to keep you safe.

"Such as?" I asked.

"Well, Brian gave us a little idea," said George.

"Brian?" I asked, a little lost.

"Our manager," said John, gesturing toward the other man that I didn't recognize.

"A pleasure to meet you, Eileen," said Brian, holding his hand out to me. I shook it.

"You too, Mr..."

"Epstein," said Brian.

"Right," I said. "So, what was the idea?"

"That you come to the boys' hotel room and stay there," said Brian.

I was really lost now. Stay at their hotel room? Why? George seemed to know what I was thinking, so he answered my thought.

"Because seeing as you've been saved by two of us already, you would seem to be pretty safe there with us watching you," he said.

"What if they tried to do something to you?" I asked.

"Who in their right mind would try to kill a Beatle?" said Paul.

"True," I said.

"Do we get to come too?" piped up Gwen.

It was silent for a moment. Everyone's eyes rested on me to make the final decision. I hated when people always depended on me. I finally gave a response. "No," I said.

Both girls looked crestfallen. "Why Eileen?" asked Pattie.

"I think I see 'er reasoning love," said George, coming over to Pattie and resting a hand on her shoulder. Pattie blushed a deep magenta, but said nothing.

"What's that?" asked Gwen.

"Well, you two are Eileen's friends, right?" asked George. Gwen and Pattie nodded. "If I'm right in saying...Eileen doesn't want you in the line of fire if the shooter comes near us and tries to hurt her again" He turned to me. "Right?"

I nodded. "Exactly," I said.

"But why Eileen?" said Gwen again. "If the shooter comes anywhere near you, we want to be there with you!"

"Yeah," said Pattie, finally pulling herself together after physical contact with George. "We want to stick with you, even till the very end. You don't have to worry about us getting hurt, we'll be okay!"

"Pat, my mind's made up," I said. "It's not like I'll never see you again."

"I know," said Gwen. "But we've hardly been apart! We've gone to school together, we've lived together in the same flat for two years, I just don't know what we'd do without you!"

"And what if that shooter does come," said Pattie. "What if he gets to you and kills you! We won't see you again!"

"That won't happen," I said. "I'll be fine. I just don't want to take a chance with you two. You mean too much to me." That ended the subject. My two best friends in the whole world looked as if they'd never be happy again as I walked off with The Beatles and Brian.

John patted my back. "It's okay love," he said. "Ye did the right thing."

I sighed. "I know," I said. "It just doesn't feel right."

"It is though," said John again. "You don't want your friends to get hurt. That's perfectly natural."

I looked up into his eyes. "You know John," I said. "I feel like I've known you my whole life."

John smirked. "Maybe it's because I've saved it," he said.

I laughed. "Well, Ringo saved it too, but I don't feel I've known him for that long."

"Well, you know Eileen, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have a life for Ringo to save," said John.

"Cheeky," I said, giving him a soft punch in the shoulder.

"If I may interrupt," said Paul, who had just come over. John suddenly got-what's the word-territorial, almost.

"What?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. What was going on?

"I just want to take the time to tell Eileen what a trooper she is," said Paul. My heart beat fast. He thought I was brave?

"Why?" I asked.

"Not many people would stay sane like you after being attacked by a shooter twice, love," I said, winking.

"Ah," I said. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Paul, winking again. He walked off to join the others. We soon got to a limo parked outside of the movie set. The only problem was that the path to the limo was swarming with wild, screaming girls.

"This'll be a challenge," said John, grinning evilly.

"John loves this," said Ringo in my ear. I laughed.

"Okay boys," said Brian urgently. "Be very careful. Stick together, and make sure the girl is very close to you at all times. This can get messy."

"Here we go," said John. He gripped me tight, and soon the six of us were out in a sea of rabid adolescent girls. As they saw me, they started hitting and pinching me and shouting things like, "Get away from them!" and, "You have no right, you slut!" One girl even tried to rip my hair out! Vicious little things...

We finally got to the limo and sat down inside it. George, who was the last person in, closed the door, which muffled the sound of the screams a little. "You okay?" he asked me.

"Shaken," I said. "Maybe the shooter is one of those jealous girls."

The boys laughed at my joke. Hey, it was possible!

"You could be right," said Paul. "Sure seemed like it, eh?"

"Too right," said John. He put an arm around my shoulders. "Tired?"

"A little," I said. "The past few days have been hectic." In a few minutes, I felt myself drifting off on John's shoulder. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I sure did.


	10. Chapter 10

_*Pattie's P.O.V.*__  
_I have never seen Gwen so put down. She wasn't sad, but she sure was ticked off. I heard her grumbling about all sorts of things, like how Eileen should trust her friends over a bunch of boys she hardly knew, even if they were famous. I was about to say something about how two of them had saved her life already, but decided not to. That would just get me yelled at, and I wouldn't be able to do with that. In the middle of her angry mutters, she suddenly froze. She got a dangerous gleam in her brown eyes and smirked. Uh-oh, I knew that gleam. It always meant that she had a tricky and possibly stupid idea up her sleeve. Okay Pattie, I thought to myself. If she approaches you, just back away slowly...

"You know what Pattie?" asked Gwen, with the same sugar-coated voice as Jerri Dunn, which surprised me.

"What?" I asked cautiously, my voice shaking. I stood my ground, waiting for Gwen Stanley's next bright idea.

"Wait here," said Gwen again. She sneakily slipped off in the direction of the makeup and costume department. Oh boy, whatever this was, I didn't like it. She soon came running back carrying a vast array of items that were either brightly coloured or tacky in some other way. Before I had any time to open my mouth, Gwen threw a bright red wig at me with a six-inch high beehive and a pair of neon orange horn-rimmed studded glasses.

"What do you want me to do with all this?" I half asked-half yelled.

"Put it on!" said Gwen to me like I was a little child. "We're going to sneak into the hotel without Eileen knowing it's us, and we'll spy on her and the boys to make sure nothing bad happens!"

"Gwen, that's ridiculous!" I yelled back. "There's no way this'll fool her!" I held up the ugly wig. "And we'll look like fools! What are you wearing anyway?"

"This," said Gwen with a smile. She held up a ratty kaki trenchcoat, a shaggy brown beard and moustache combo, a flappy old hat, and a pair of round glasses. "I'll be a man, and you'll be my wife. We are on holiday from Ireland and are checking into the hotel."

"Gwen Stanley, you are bloody _mad!"_ I shouted. "This doesn't look Irish at all! How the hell are we going to pull this off?"

"With a little luck, lassie!" said Gwen in a horrible Irish accent.

"'Lassie's' Scottish," I mumbled as I shoved the wig on my head. This was going to be a long and interesting day.

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*_

"Come 'ed," said John as he helped me out of the limo. I was careful not to slip on the wet street. It had rained a bit on our way to the hotel.

"Thanks," I said. John tried to help me more, but Paul shoved his way in and he grabbed my hand instead. John looked extremely annoyed.

"So," said Paul, unmoved by John. "How do you like the movie business?"

I shrugged. I forgot that we were still in the middle of shooting a movie. "It's okay, I guess," I said. "I haven't really done much yet."

"You will in time," said Paul. He leaned in closer, as if to tell me a secret. "Don't forget, this is my first movie too." I giggled. I always got giggly around Paul. I guess I really did like him a lot.

Soon, all six of us, including me, the boys, and Brian, were in the lobby. Up at the counter, I saw a very strange couple starting to check out a room.

_*Gwen's P.O.V.*__  
_"Pattie, I don't understand what you don't like about this plan!" I said to Pattie for the millionth time, exasperated. "This is flawless!"

"Yeah, if you call some of my blonde hair still poking out of my red wig 'flawless'!" Pattie snapped back.

I slapped my forehead. "I _told _you, if the guy notices, say that they're highlights!" When was this girl going to stop her bloody complaining? I was getting very irritated by now.

"Gwen, your beard's slipping," said Pattie through gritted teeth.

I fixed my beard and said to her, "Now Pattie, my name's not Gwen right now!"

"Right," said Pattie, who looked about ready to explode. I couldn't imagine why, I was being very patient with her.

"What is it?" I asked.

Pattie sighed. "Galloway," she near-growled.

"And what's your pet name for me?"

"Gally," said a now embarrassed Pattie.

"Good!" I said. "And what's your name?"

"Piper," said Pattie, shuddering a little at the name. Why? I thought it was a very pretty name.

"Where are we from and why are we here?" I asked.

Pattie took a deep breath. "We are a newlywed married couple from Ireland, and we wanted to go to Liverpool for our honeymoon because of all the seashore views. Is that enough information or do I need to go into why we want the bloody seashore views?"

"Oh, that's enough," I said. "Let's go!"

_*Eileen's P.O.V_.*  
The strange couple approached the counter. The woman had impossibly red hair with a huge beehive and large orange glasses, and the man had a long brown beard. "Funny people that come around there, eh?" said Ringo.

"No wonder you come around here, Ringo," said John.

"Guys, shush, I want to hear what they say, it could be good," said an amused George. We were quiet, and the couple started to talk.

"Hello good sir!" said the man cheerily in an accent somewhere between English and Mexican. "I and my lovely wife Piper are here on our honeymoon from Ireland, and we want a very nice room, right by the ocean!"

The man at the counter seemed very amused. "Ireland, eh?" he asked. "You're accent seems very exotic."

"His mother's Spanish," cut in the woman quickly, in a better accent. "Poor man can't get rid of that part of it. Isn't that right dear Gally?" The woman had a terribly plastered-on smile. Something about that couple looked strangely familiar. But what? I looked closer, then it hit me.

"Oh lord," I groaned.

"What's wrong?" asked John.

"That's Gwen and Pattie up there," I said, suddenly with a stomachache.

"But isn't Pattie blonde?" cut in George, who seemed to perk up at the mention of Pattie's name.

"And isn't Gwen a girl?" asked Ringo.

"And I wouldn't think they're married," said Paul, who was enjoying every minute of this.

"Of course they're not!" I yelled suddenly. "They're putting on this charade! You saw how badly they wanted to come! They're gonna spy on me! Oh when I get my hands on them..."

"Don't get too vicious love," said John. "They just want to make sure yer safe."

"They don't have to!" I yelled, stomping my foot on the ground. "I made it clear!"

"Eileen, relax," said Ringo. "How do you know it's them?"

"Because Gwen's the only person twisted enough to pull this episode off," I said flatly.

"Ah," said Ringo.  
We checked in after Gwen and Pattie got to their room. John, Paul, Brian, and I proceeded to the room while George and Ringo went back to my old hotel room to bring my luggage back here.

"So, Mr. Epstein," I said to Brian. "How long do you think I'll be staying here?"

Brian shrugged. "I can't say. I guess until the shooter gets caught. And you can just call me Brian."

"Oh," I said. "Okay." When we got to the room, I was shocked. I was expecting a normal sized hotel room, like the one that Gwen, Pattie, and I were staying at during the movie, before this while episode. But what I saw was a huge space, with five bedrooms, a gigantic living area, a kitchen, a dining room, and two luxurious bathrooms. All of the room was decorated quite elegantly, from the curtains to the furniture.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Yeah, it's a bit posh," said Paul.

"But we're used to it!" said John.

Brian turned to speak. "Now boys, I want to make something absolutely clear," he said, looking Paul and John firmly in the eye. "I don't want any funny business with the girl while she's here. She's here so you can protect her, not so you can take advantage of her being female. Do you understand me?"

The boys sighed in mock disappointment. "Yes, Brian," they drawled in unison. Then John broke in with a, "What if-" but was cut up abruptly by Brian.

"No 'what ifs' Lennon," said Brian. "Now, I'm going to be in and out of here during this time. I don't want to find that Miss Carter is carrying a John Lennon junior!"

I turned very red at this statement. Boy was I lucky he didn't say Paul McCartney junior...not that it would come to that anyway.

"Thank you very much, Brian," I said once I had regained control of my emotions. "I wish I could do something for you."

"You don't need to, Miss Carter," he said. "Just try and enjoy yourself."

"And that can't be too hard, love," said Paul, winking at me. I turned red again.

"McCartney!" said Brian warningly.

"Aw, come on Eppy, I was just having a bit of fun with the bird!" said Paul.

"My turn next!" said John excitedly, jumping up and down and clapping. "It looks like fun!"

"Are you sure you're okay with this," muttered Brian to me.

"Yeah, I'll manage," I said.

Brian gave me one last apologetic look as he walked out the door, leaving me alone with John and Paul, who seemed to have calmed down considerably. "So," I said. "Where are George and Ringo?"

"Getting yer luggage," said John.

"Still!" I said in disbelief. What else were they doing?

"Well, yeah," said Paul. "They just take their time." As if by cue, George and Ringo burst through the door, both carrying my suitcase, which really didn't seem that heavy to me, but when the plopped it down on the floor, both of them were huffing and puffing.

"Good lord Eileen," said Ringo, clutching his side. "What do you put in there?"

"Clothes," I said sheepishly.

"Just clothes?" said an exhausted George.

"Well, shampoos and things of that nature," I said.

"Makeup?" asked Ringo, who was still massaging his side.

"Not really, I don't like makeup," I said.

"Wow, I think you're a first," said Paul, putting his arm around me.

"What's wrong with a girl not liking makeup?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," said John. "Unless they're really ugly."

"Don't talk that way about yourself, John," said George. "It's bad for your self-esteem." The whole room burst into laughter. I did too, John made a funny face in between offended and trying not to laugh. It was comical.

"So," said Ringo. "Those were your friends out there in that fancy getup, were they?"

"Yes," I growled.

"Wait..." said George. "You're friends with Pattie, right?"

I nodded.  
George got a sort of dreamy look across his face. "Yes..." he said.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy they're here," I said. "They need to learn the meaning of 'I can take care of myself'."

"But we're taking care of you," said Paul. That shut me up. Before I knew it, we were on the set of the picture just finishing the movie up. We were shooting the final scene, the final concert, when the boys finally get to play. I was part of the "audience" along with Gwen and Pattie. I didn't say anything about then trying to spy on my yet. I'd wait till I saw them at the hotel again. When we finally got to say something other than screams, Gwen looked me square in the face.

"So," she said stiffly. "Enjoying the boys?"

I shrugged. "They're not too bad," I said. "Have I missed anything that's happened with you two?"

Gwen got a look across her face. "Oh, it's pretty big, but I can't let you know just yet." Oh Gwen, I thought. You think you're being so sneaky.

"Oh, Pat," I said. "George asked about you!" Well, he did, and I needed to put on a happy mood. It worked-Pattie's face lit up immediately.

"Really?" she said.

I nodded vigorously. We were interrupted, however, by some loud arguing.

"-still don't know what to name the bloody picture!" shouted Dick, sounding annoyed.

"Didn't we already have a name?" asked John.

"'Beatlemainia'," said Dick. "I told you I wanted to change it! It's stupid!"

"What did you want to change it to, Dick?" said a cameraman.

"Anything!" said Dick. "Anything but what we have already!"

I noticed that only three of The Beatles were present, John, Paul, and George. The fourth, Ringo, was just now catching up to them, and crashed down in his chair. "Ay, Eileen," he said when he saw me. I gave him a nod.

"And where were you?" snapped Dick at Ringo, making him jump. If he were a cat, he would have been all frizzed up.

"I was just draggin' behind," said Ringo. "It's been a hard day's night..."

"A what, Ringo?" asked John, amused.

"A hard day's night," said Ringo.

"That's rubbish!" said George.

"Yeah," said Paul. "Doesn't make any sense."

"Wow Ringo, you really must be tired," said John.

"Very," I said.

Dick, however, seemed to be deep in thought. "A hard day's night..." he muttered. " A hard day's-I got it!" he suddenly shouted, making everyone jump.

"Got what, Dick," asked Gwen.

"The movie title!" said Dick triumphantly. "Ringo, you're a genius! 'A Hard Day's Night'! That's what we'll call the picture!"

"But it's rubbish!" said John. "Makes no sense at all, that does!"

"Yes it does!" said Dick, looking like a six-year-old who had found a new bike under his Christmas tree. "You four lads work so hard during the day, and when you're finally done, it's already night! Oh, this is gonna be big, I know it!" He was about to walk off when he stopped. "By the way, John, Paul, you two are going to need to write a title track to the pic-I mean—'A Hard Day's Night'." Then he was off.

"Wow," said Ringo, looking quite pleased with himself. "That was a first."

"At what?" I asked.

"Doing something important," said Ringo.

"How are we going to write a song that fast?" asked Paul.

"I don't know," said John, "But George'll defiantly be no help at all." He looked over at George, who was busy in a staring contest with Pattie. As I looked from them to Paul, I wished so much that I could do the same with him.


	11. Chapter 11

When we got back to the hotel room, John and Paul immediately went into one of the bedrooms with their instruments. "Where are they going?" I asked George.

"They're going to start writing the title song," said George.

"Right away?" I asked again.

"Well, yeah, all thanks to Ringo's brainchild," said George. Ringo swelled with pride. He obviously hadn't really done anything huge with the band before this.

"Don't let it get to yer head, Ringo," said George.

"Oh, it's too late for that," said Ringo, shrugging. "I want to enjoy this moment while it lasts!" All three of us laughed. He was right!

"So, Eileen, tell us about yourself," said George. "You're gonna be staying with us for a while, and we'd like to get to know you better."

I took a breath. "Okay," I said. "My name is Eileen Carter, I am twenty years old, I'm a fashion model with my two extremely stubborn best friends, I play the piano, my favorite color is green-" I paused and smiled-"and I'm a huge Beatles fan."

"Are you now?" said George.

"Then why don't you run after us and try to rip our clothes off?" asked Ringo.

"Ringo, the girls don't try to rip out clothes off!" said George.

"Well, how would you know?" said Ringo. "I had girls try to do that to me plenty of times!"

"Gwen was probably one of them," I joked.

"I lost track," said Ringo.

"Ringo, a girl hasn't even tried to rip John's clothes off yet!" said George.

"Yeah, cause he's usually the one ripping the girl's clothes off!" said Ringo. That ended that conversation.

"So, is that it about you?" asked George.

"I guess so," I said. I'm not much of an interesting person.

"I'm sure you are," said George. "You must be interesting to have both John and Paul after you. I don't think I've met a girl yet that has had that happen to them."

I felt myself blush a deep red. "They don't fancy me," I said.

"But they do!" said Ringo. "I'm bettin' that John'll be the lucky lad!"

"Ah, please," said George. "Paul is _obviously_gonna be the one. You should see the way the bird looks at him!"

I cleared my throat.

"Oh," said George, looking embarrassed. "Sorry."

"S'okay," I said. "I was told that you were actually betting on it, though."

"Who told you that?" said George.

"Um...you," I said. George said nothing, but he looked down at the ground, looking foolish.

In the silence that followed, the door to the room John and Paul were in opened, and they came out, setting their instruments down on the couch.

"Any luck?" asked George.

"We're getting there," said John. "It's coming along well."

"Doesn't the deadline put you under pressure?" I asked.

"Love," said Paul. "We're used to deadlines!" Paul looked over to John and nudged him. John grunted and nudged him back, nodding. Paul put a hand up to protest, but he gave up. "Say, Eileen," said Paul. "The four of us were wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with us today, seeing as we have a rare day off and you're a most beautiful bird-" John gave him a razor-sharp glance that cut him Paul short.

"What he's saying is," said John. "Would you like to go to a club with us tonight?"

"I'd love to!" I said, my heart rate suddenly going up. Clubbing with The Beatles? Why in their right mind would pass that by? "When are you thinking of leaving?"

Paul shrugged. "Possibly in about half-an-hour. Would that give you enough time to get ready?"

"Get ready?" I said. I was lost.

"Yeah, get ready," said George.

"You weren't thinking of going to a club with us in that, were you?" asked Ringo. I took the time to survey what I was wearing: a pair of my brother's old, ratty blue jeans, a plain, white tee shirt, and extremely beat-up shoes. That would definitely be an embarrassment.

"I suppose you're right," I said. "I think I'll have enough time." With that, I sheepishly crept off to my suitcase, and shut myself in the bathroom.

When I had the door safely locked, I took the time to look myself over. I had noticed my clothes already, but my hair was a different story. It was all over the place, most likely from all the screaming and jumping I had to do for that last scene. I pulled a brush out of my suitcase and managed to flatten it down, but I soon realized that it would just get messed up again when I changed clothes. I rummaged through my suitcase to see what I had. I settled for the pink dress I wore that day when I had lunch with Jerri. I also remembered it was the same dress I wore when my car broke down and I had been chased all over by a maniac with a gun. But that was the only dress I had, so I had no choice.

I changed into the dress, and, as I expected, my hair was a mess again. I brushed it flat again, and I pulled out my little pink ribbon again. I didn't want to pull all of it back this time, so i just put it in a half up-half down style, the half up pulled back with the ribbon. I decided that my flat hair was to boring, so I took some hairspray out of my bag and teased it a little. The fumes of the spray got to my nose, and I had a huge coughing fit.

"Eileen?" said Ringo from the main room. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" I said in a nasally voice that was caused by the spray. "I'b okay!" It took a minute for that affect to wear off, but as soon as it did, I decided a bit of makeup wouldn't hurt. I'd just have to keep my hands away from my face so I wouldn't have the urge to scratch it. I searched through my bag to see if I had packed any by mistake. I found a huge makeup kit, that said, in fancy silver letters on the top, "Gwen." I silently cursed and thanked her at the same time. I took out the black liquid eyeliner and applied it cat-eye style around my eyes. I stood back to admire myself.

I saw my face was shiny. Well, I thought, a little foundation couldn't hurt. I put that on, but then saw that I was white as a sheet. A little pink blush did just the trick. I looked at my eyes again. I noticed that Gwen had some shimmery pink eyeshadow. I was wearing a pink dress...it'd go well! I put that on and put on some mascara (hey, I was wearing everything else on my eyes) and lipstick. Before I knew it, I was wearing a whole face of makeup, and my face was itching like mad. Damn you, girlish instincts...

On my way out, I put on some white flats and, heart pumping fast, finally stepped out in front of the boys, trying very hard not to scratch my face. "Hey, hey, lookin good, Eileen!" called Paul.

I gave a small, nervous chuckle, and proceeded to sit on the couch, waiting for the boys to get ready.

"I thought you said you didn't bring makeup," said John, observing my face closely. The thought of John being that close to my face made my mind swirl with thought; was he close enough to kiss me? If he was, would he? Oh God.

"Gwen," was my one-word reply.

"Ah," said John. "I see."

"Are they coming too?" I asked.

"Oh, no," said Paul. "Just you!"

George looked suddenly crestfallen; he was probably hoping that he'd be able to steal a dance with Pattie.

"Aw, cheer up, George!" said John. "Maybe next time, little ladies' man!" I took the time to see what the boys were wearing: I saw George first, because he was the one all attention was on. He was dressed in a nice button-down lilac shirt with blue jeans. Ringo was wearing a sky blue shirt that brought out his eyes greatly and a pair of kakhi jeans. John wore a mint-green shirt and darker blue jeans. Paul was looking amaising in a black shirt and light blue jeans. Okay, they all looked amazing! All of them wore black Chelsea boots.

"Do we look good?" asked John. I blushed. He must have noticed that I was looking at them.

"Yeah," I said. "Very nice."

"So," said George. "Who's driving?"

Everyone looked at Ringo.

"Why do you choose the accident-prone one to drive all the time?" he said, but he submitted to driving anyway.

Once we were in the car with Ringo in the driver's seat, I asked, "Why don't you wear your suits out?"

George, Paul, and John looked at each other and then at me with huge eyes, looking outraged but amused at the same time, almost as if they were angry at me for saying something dirty and insulting about their mothers, but at the same time impressed that I would have the courage to say such things, and I saw Ringo jump slightly in the front. "Did I say anything wrong?" I asked.  
John, who was sitting in the front with Ringo, turned around. "Eileen, do you know how many girls would go potty if they saw us in our suits anywhere in public? They'd swamp us!"  
"Oh..." I said, embarrassed. "I didn't think about that..."  
"Love, can you imagine dozens of Gwens storming this car right now?" said Paul.  
Ringo looked around hopefully.  
"What's the matter, Ringo?" asked John. "Need a booster seat up there?"  
Everyone but me and Ringo laughed. "Shut up, Lennon, I don't need lip from you!" shouted Ringo.  
"Yeah, guys, leave him alone," I said. That subject ended when Ringo parked the car outside of the club. We all clambered out of the little car, and made our way inside.

"Well, no one's seeming to recognize us yet," whispered Paul.

"Let's hope it stays that way," said John.

Surprisingly, it did. Well, people did recognize them, but they didn't get chased out of the place by screaming fangirls. I did see some nasty looks in my direction, though. Geez, it's not like they'd have it different if they were in my place!

I didn't go up to dance for a while. I wasn't much of a dancer. All four of the boys were up there dancing with all sorts of girls. I admit, I was a little jealous. They wanted me to come with them, and so far, none of them asked me to dance! But soon, my prayers were answered.

Paul had stopped dancing with his last girl and was now walking over to me. As soon as the last song, "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry (Oh God, that name again!) Lee Luis ended, and the next song, "Baby, it's You" by none other than The Beatles began, he reached for my hand.

"May I have this dance, Eileen Carter?" he asked, handing out his hand.

My smile was ear to ear. "Yes," I said, and pretty soon, I was swept off my feet in Paul's arms, swaying to the song I've always been a sucker for. Sure, it was one that John sang, but I didn't care-I was dancing to it with my favorite Beatle, who I was pretty sure I had deep feelings for, beyond musical appeal.

As we swayed across the dance floor, I felt my insides churn with nerves and my heart beating so fast I thought it would break my ribcage. But that didn't happen; only bliss.

"Eileen," said Paul. "I just want to take the time to say that you really are an extraordinary bird."

"Thank you, Paul," I said. What a dumb response.

"What I'm trying to say is, Eileen," said Paul, sounding truly nervous for the first time since I first spoke to him, "is that I really like you."

I remained silent.

He spoke again. "I want to be with you, Eileen," he said. "I think I love you."

That did it for me. Paul McCartney said he loved me! A strong wave of happiness flooded my body, and the next thing I knew, Paul was kissing me during the guitar solo to "Baby, it's You." His kiss sent chills down my spine and for once, I felt like I was the most beautiful person in the world, even though my lipstick was getting smudged my Paul's soft, tender lips.

We broke apart after a moment, and as the song faded away, my wave of happiness was ruined by the sight of John's face, looking both crushed and angry, watching us. Paul, however, looked at me and kissed me again with his lips with my rubbed-off lipstick, and made the sight of John's anguish go blurry.


	12. Chapter 12

The rest of the night at the club went smoothly; I danced with George and Ringo (who had to give four pounds to George after George won the bet of which Beatle I would end up with) also (although I think George was subconsciously pretending I was Pattie, judging by the tightness of his hold on me), but when John finally got his turn, he steered me away from all the other dancers, and whenever Paul came around, even if he was with another girl, violently jerked me away as to keep me out of Paul's sight.

It was very late when we finally got back to the hotel. John still looked very grumpy, especially when he saw Paul holding my hand. He grumbled some incomprehensible words and went into his room. To my surprise, he motioned for Paul to follow. Normally, I would have eavesdropped right away, but as soon as George and Ringo left for their rooms, I took the advantage of being alone by scratching my painfully itching face. I went into the bathroom and washed off my makeup, and the itching stopped. It didn't take long, except for the mascara (I cursed Gwen again for packing waterproof mascara. Sure it's good when you cry, but I'm not a crier). I took off my shoes, let my hair down, and silently crept to the ajar door of John's room.

"But that's not the point, Paul!" said John's emotion-filled voice from the other side of the door. "You know how I feel about her!"

"You know how I feel about her too, John," said Paul matter-of-factly. "All you're doing is turning the tables on me so you make me seem like the bleedin' bad guy!"

"Cause maybe you are the bad guy!" said John again. "I remember you telling me, that first day we saw Eileen on the movie set, that you would back off!" My breath

caught in my throat at the mention of my name. I listened closer.

"Now, see there!" said Paul. "I remember _you _saying that!"

"Well, I didn't!" said John. "Paul, I have deeper feelings for her that you do! I wouldn't try to win her over with stupid words like that just a few days after I met her! I would give her time to warm up to me, and then tell her!"

"Funny," said Paul. "You seem to do just the opposite of what you said you would do to all the other birds!"

"Eileen's different!" said John, his voice shaking.

"Well, guess what," said Paul. "No matter how 'different' she is, she chose me. End of story." Paul turned to walk out, and I dived for the bathroom.

"Wait!" called John. Paul paused, and I inched forward again.

"Yes?" asked Paul.

"What's _she _going to think?" asked John with a sneakiness to his voice.

"Whatever _she _thinks is not my problem," scoffed Paul. "She needs to grow up." This time Paul really did go for the exit, so I had to quietly rush to the bathroom again. I got into my pajamas and got my sheets ready on the couch so I could finally get some sleep. All the while, I was thinking the same thing over and over again: who was "she?"

When I woke up, that same question was buzzing all around in my brain. As soon as I opened my eyes, I looked around for Gwen and Pattie; maybe they'd be able to help me. But then I remembered_, oh, they're not here, they're out in some other room, parading around the hotel in a red wig and a brown beard, spying on me_! When I tried to get off the couch, I ended up tumbling off face first onto the floor.

"Ow," was the muffled word I said into the carpet.

"You okay?" I heard Ringo ask. I couldn't see him because my face was in the floor.

"Yeah," I said into the carpet again.

"Let me help you up," said Ringo again. I felt his hand brush mine. I grabbed onto it, and he hoisted me up to my feet.

"Thanks," I said, rubbing where I was sore. I could now see Ringo, and I could also see that he was still in his dark blue footie pajamas. I held back a giggle.

Ringo shrugged. "They all laugh, I'm used to it," he said.

"I'm gonna go get dressed," I said.

"Just now?" asked Ringo.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm gonna catch Gwen and Pattie in action." I didn't need to dress fancy for this, so I just slipped on a plain white dress and my flats from last night. I just finger-combed my hair on the way out the door.

Almost as soon as I walked out the door, I spotted a bright red wig. Pattie. I followed her casually down to the cafe, and when the time was right, I sat down at the table that she was at.

As soon as she saw me, her blue eyes got huge and nervous. I looked at her stony-faced and jerked the wig off, letting her blonde hair tumble free.

"Why, Pattie?" I asked flatly.

At first, she said nothing, but then she spoke. "Sorry Eileen," she said quietly.

I sighed. "Pat," I said, "did Gwen make you do this?" I asked because Gwen was normally a little pushy with Pattie.

Pattie drew a breath to say something, but end the end she merely nodded.

I clucked my tongue. "Pattie, you can't listen to every little thing she tells you to do!" I said, a little more harshly than I meant to. "You're giving in too easy!" I stopped short when I saw that Pattie's face looked close to tears. Aw, poor little thing.

I softened up immediately. "Aw, Pattie, I'm sorry," I said, going over to her and giving her a big hug. "I'm just annoyed with Gwen. I know she means well and all, but I just don't feel that she's safe with that maniac chasing after me and all."

Pattie looked up at me with her huge blue eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly and trembling. "I wasn't going to do it, but I guess you're right. I am giving in too easy. I'm such a failure. George hasn't even called the hotel back." She looked down at the ground. I wanted to tell her how disappointed George was when he found out that Pattie wasn't going to the club with us last night, but I didn't.

"Pattie, honey," I said. "You are not a failure."

"Then how do you explain being turned down by a Beatle?" said Pattie.

"Trust me, you weren't turned down," I said. "Come on Pat, let's go back to the room."

"What about Gwen?" asked Pattie.

"Gwen can wait," I said. "I really have some things to say to her." I got up to go, but Pattie was still sitting. "Come on," I said.  
Pattie got up slowly, but she still looked sad. She gave me a melancholy look again.

I grinned "George'll be there," I said.

"Really?" said Pattie, looking hopeful.

"Oh yeah," I said. "I'm sure he'd love to see you!" With that, Pattie lit up a little, but I still had to put my arm around her as we walked down to the room. Poor, sensitive thing.

I saw the colour in Pattie's face deepen as I reached for the doorknob. When I opened the door, I felt her shrink back some, but in the end, she went in without a fuss.

"Hey!" said Paul, who obviously didn't see Pattie. "Eileen, did you manage to catch those spying fiends?"

"Umm..." said Pattie shyly. Paul noticed that one of the "spying fiends" was there, and he apologized profusely.

"Really, love, I didn't see you there, honest," he said for about the millionth time. By then, Pattie and I were in fits of giggles.

"It's okay!" said Pattie again, through tears of laughter.

"Alright then," said Paul, finally stopping the conversation. "Oh, Eileen darling, I just wanted to tell you that I had the time of my life last night on the dance floor," he said again in a posh accent, taking my hand and kissing it. Funny, I thought. John did the same thing to me a couple times.

"As I did," I said, trying to mock his posh accent. He laughed and swept me into a kiss. When we broke apart, I saw Pattie staring at us with wide eyes, a ghost of a smirk on her face. I felt myself go very red. When Paul walked away, and we were sure that no one else was around, we both squealed.

"I can't believe it!" said Pattie. "You bleedin' lucky girl, Eileen!"

"I can't believe it either!" I said. "Me and my favorite Beatle, a couple!"

"Oh, I hate you right now," said Pattie with a longing sigh. "Where's George?"

I laughed. "I thought you'd never ask!" I said. "I'll find him." I skipped off to go look for George. On the way there, however, I saw a fist fly out in my direction. By instinct, I flew my fist into the face of the puncher before he had a chance to hit my face, who turned out to be John.

"John!" I shouted. "What was that for?"

John grinned. "I'm testin' yer reflexes, love," he said. "What with that killer on the loose after you, you have to be extra careful. I'm gonna say that you passed your first test!"

I rolled my eyes. "So, are you going to throw punches at me when I least expect it?"

"Ah, no, but I am going to teach you to fight!" said John. Talking to John was different now after I heard his argument with Paul last night, but I tried not to let any other emotion other than interest show.

"Really?" I said. "Do you think I need it?"

"Well, it'll help," said John.

I nodded. "Say, John, have you seen George?" I asked. I wanted to make Pattie's stay here as happy as possible, after the trouble Gwen got her into.

"No, not recently," said John.

I shrugged and walked off. I might be able to find him myself. I tried very hard not to let what I had heard Paul and John talking about last night cloud my mind too much. It was distracting me from other things I needed to worry about, like the shooter. I was glad it didn't come about lately. Maybe The Beatles' protection was helping. I finally found George a moment later-and what do you know-he was talking to Pattie.

"I find horror movies very exciting, actually," drawled George with an arm around Pattie, obviously trying to impress her. "They just intrigue me so much!"

"Oh, George, we'll have to watch one someday," said Pattie in a heartbreakingly sweet voice. Oh, true love...at least she wasn't being fought over.

"So, are you staying here?" asked George hopefully.

"Yes," said Pattie. "Eileen found me in the hallway. She got mad at first, but then she softened up and asked if I wanted to stay."

"And you said yes of course?" said George, getting closer to Pattie.

"Why, of course!" said Pattie. "Why do you think I'm here?" They laughed.

I came in. "I hate to break things up," I said, "but I do believe I should get Pattie settled."

"Right," said George, embarrassed.

_*Later*__  
_"Okay, Eileen, plant a big one in my gut, go on!"  
John had been trying to urge me to beat him up for the past half hour, but I just couldn't! "But I'll hurt you!" I objected.

"Nah, you won't!" said John. "See this?" he patted is torso. "Abs of steel, nothing can hurt me! Go on!"

"Are you sure?" I asked. We were standing outside, and the soft breeze ruffled my hair.

"Yes, I'm sure!" said John. "Just do it!"

I balled my hand into a fist, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let it fly. When I opened my eyes, I saw John writhing on the ground in pain, clutching his nose, which was bleeding.

"Oh, John!" I yelled as I flung myself down at his side. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! Honest!"

"Rule one of punching," said John nasally as he got up, pinching is nose. "Never close your eyes!"

"Sorry," I said shyly, looking down at the ground, feeling like a little kid who got caught pulling the dog's tail.

"Ah, it's okay love," said John, patting my back with his free hand. "I'll go get a tissue, and be right back." It only took a moment, and then John came back out with a small wad of bloody tissue shoved up each nostril. It looked funny, and I gave a little giggle.

"Yeah, Eileen, you sure pack a punch," said John.

"I really didn't I said.

"I know," said John. "Okay, now give me a good knee in the stomach!"

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, buy just keep your eyes open this time," said John. I nodded, drew my knee back, and swung it hard in the general direction. I had thought I had perfect aim this time, but when I saw him rolling around in the grass clutching his-er-man-parts, I thought differently. This time I did not rush to him, but stood there biting my thumb like I child.

"Maybe I should practice on a dummy," I said.

"Ah, but you are!" said Paul, who had just come strolling up. He stopped when he saw John on the ground. "All right there mate? I hope she doesn't beat you up too bad! Or am I too late?"

John gave him one of those "if-looks-could-kill" stares until Paul was gone.

"I swear," said John weakly as he got up. "That guy is not right for you."

"Why not?" I asked, pretending not to have extensive knowledge on the subject.

"Oh, he's just not right," said John. "You aren't the type of girl that he usually goes for. You're strong and independent, actually stubborn. Paul goes for the ones that-let's just say-need help."

I laughed. "Aw, John, just give him a chance, he's bound to see something in me!"

"Just be careful," said John, a look of fear in his eyes. But as I looked deeper, it wasn't fear-it was compassion. Love. Caring. John really cared for me, and it wasn't jealousy that he felt about me and Paul, it was hurt. It almost made me want to kiss him then and there, but John interrupted me with, "Now, try to punch me with your eyes open!" I laughed and tried again-it was a perfect hit.


	13. Chapter 13

After about another hour, John and I headed inside. He was sopping wet and nursing numerous bruises he had gotten when he instructed me to throw him. He had asked me to throw him into the soft grass, but me and my uncoordinated self tossed him towards the pool, where he hit his head on the deck before he finally fell into the pool. We sat down on the couch where the others, including Pattie, were sitting.

"John," I said grinning, despite his injuries, "I really think I should use a practice dummy instead of you."

John swatted his arm. "Ah, come on Eileen," he said. "I don't mind getting hurt like this for you, I just want to help you!" He smiled, but winced at his split lip.

"Yeah, you don't mind, do you?" I said flatly. Everyone laughed.

"Wow, Eileen, what the bloody hell did you do to the poor man?" asked Ringo, gasping for breath.

I shrugged. "Threw him," I said.

"Can you throw any of us then?" asked George.

"Aw, come on George," said Paul. "Why would she want to throw any of us?" He came over to the other side of me and threw an arm around me. I saw John's expression darken for a moment, but he got softer. "Did you mean to do that to him?"

"No," I said. "Not a thing."

"Eileen, for someone that didn't mean to do anything, you sure did!" said Pattie.

"Yeah, poor Johnny's beat!" said Paul. I silently hoped that they were on good terms again.

"Oh, am I?" asked John, leaning over me to grin at Paul. "If I am, would I be able to do this?"

Oh no, I thought. He's gonna punch Paul! I winced as John got up on front of Paul. John held up a fist, but then started doing a silly little dance number. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Not beat!" said John, but his ego was hurt when he had to clutch an aching back. The room exploded with laughter again.

"Okay, maybe I need a little quiet time," said John, his face twisted.

"Maybe you'll have more sense as to not let me punch you next time," I said.

"Wow..." said Ringo. "The things she'll do to that shooter." I chuckled.

"Say, Eileen," said Pattie. "Where do you reckon Gwen is? I haven't seen her around."

"Dunno," I said. "I'll look for her tomorrow."

"Why not now?" asked Pattie.

"I want to calm down a little more about the whole spying thing so I don't kill her," I said.

"Oooh, Gwen should be scared!" said George. "Just look what Eileen did to John!"

"Ah, shut up!" said John. That seemed to be the end of that subject. I glanced over at the clock on the room's wall for the first time today. I saw that it was getting close to midnight.

"Wow!" I said. "I need to get to bed!"

"Why in such a hurry?" asked Paul.

"Because if she doesn't get to bed at a certain hour, she sleeps the whole morning," said Pattie.

"Really?" asked Paul.

"Yes, really," I said. I scampered over to my suitcase to grab a pair of pajamas, but in the process, I tripped and landed flat on my face.

"Don't kill yerself," said George.

"Yeah, you'll beat yourself up next," said Ringo. John looked at him dangerously and he shut up.

"You'll need to get a good nights' sleep if you want to go looking for Gwen tomorrow," said Pattie.

"Is she coming back here?" asked Ringo.

"Depends," I said.

"On what?" asked John.

"If I call the shooter over to get a job done for me," I said as I disappeared into my room.

The next day came much sooner than I anticipated. I got up out of bed and got myself ready and dressed. I came out of my room to eat breakfast, and I saw only George and Pattie were up eating at the island.

"Hey guys," I said sleepily. "Where's everyone else?"

"Still sleeping," said George.

"Yeah Eileen," said Pattie. "It's only eight-o-clock."

"What?" I hissed, very annoyed with myself. "You mean I could've gotten an hour or two more of sleep in this morning?"

"Yeah," said George simply. He clearly did not understand how much I valued my sleep.

"Oh, super," I said in a flat monotone. "I hope you two lovebirds don't mind if I grab a bite to eat now, do you?"

Pattie turned extremely red and George bit his lip and poked his fork in his plate of eggs. "We're not lovebirds," muttered Pattie.

I said nothing to that and helped myself to a blueberry scone. I munched on it a little in silence, and when I was done, I stood up.

"Wish me luck guys," I said.

"Off to find Gwen, then?" asked Pattie.

"Yup," I said.

"That Gwen bird seems like something else," said George.

"Oh, let me tell you," I said, and then I walked out.

After the first few minutes of scouting the third floor looking for a girl wearing a fuzzy beard, I ran into a small, but very solid object it threw me completely off course. Although it was soft, I felt a very hard, metal object also. I looked up to see Jerri Dunn smiling in my face.

"Oh, Eileen!" she said to me as if she didn't see me for a year. "I haven't seen you in so long! I'm sorry if I bumped into you, I wasn't paying any attention."

"Oh, it's okay," I said, trying to walk away, but Jerri started to say something else.

"So, love, I heard you're staying in this hotel with The Beatles!" she said.

Oh boy. "Yeah," I said hastily. "Look, Jerri, I really got to go-"

"Is it because of that terrible shooter?" asked Jerri, who changed her face to concern. "It must be horrible to have such a person after you like that, and for no reason! I heard what happened after we had lunch that one day, how dreadful! I feel awful for not being able to see you out or anything."

"Really, don't be sorry," I said. "I've gotta go, I lost Gwen again."

"Oh, I do hope you find her," said Jerri. My eyes traveled down to her dress pocket. There was a sort of lump in it. "Oh, I need to iron this dress when I get back home," said Jerri, smoothing her hand over the lump. But the lump stayed. "Well, good luck with Gwen. Ta ta!" she waved as she walked away.

"Finally," I muttered as I tried to keep a safe distance from Jerri. What was that lump? She didn't seem too secretive about it or anything, so it couldn't have been that important. Oh well. I wandered around a little more, and then my eyes locked on the target: Gwen Stanley, wearing her floppy old hat and a bushy brown beard. I followed her down the hall. She must have felt that I was following her, because she froze so suddenly that I almost fell over her. I didn't, but I let out a surprised gasp.

Gwen wheeled around to face me.

She was confident enough with her sorry disguise (only Gwen...) that she looked me square in the eye with a smile and said in that horrible English-Mexican accent that was supposed to be Irish, "Top a good mornin' to ye lass! Sorry 'bout that awful fall I gave ye, I must have-"

She stopped talking when I grabbed hold of her beard and yanked it off her face. I threw it to the side, where it hit a passing bellboy who cursed loudly when it flew in his face. Gwen looked at me with wide, surprised brown eyes. She rubbed her bare chin, but somehow grinned apologetically and said, "Hey there Eileen," still in that same terrible accent.

"You know you can stop talking like that," I said bluntly.

"Okay," said Gwen, looking more like Pattie than her usual self.

"Gwen, why'd you do it?" I asked sighing. "Why?"

"I was worried about you," said Gwen. "I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"But Gwen, that's no reason to spy on me like that!" I said. "And to get poor Pattie involved? Terrible! You know you didn't have to do this, you could've just visited if you wanted to see me!"

"I'm sorry!" Gwen suddenly shouted. "Look, if you don't want me here, I'll just leave!" She turned to leave, but I grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't leave Gwen," I said. "Just don't invade my privacy like that!"

"It's not my fault that I think the blasted shooter's George!" shouted Gwen. Then she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"Why the bloody hell would you think that?" I shrieked. Now people were stopping to listen to us.

"Think about it, Eileen," said Gwen. "He wasn't around when that shooter attacked you. And he's trying to get close to Pattie so he can be around you all the time so he can kill you!"

"Why would George want to kill me?" I screamed. "And wasn't he with Pattie the first time that I was attacked?"

Gwen gasped like a goldfish that was out of its bowl. "Oh," she said quietly. "I guess you do have a point there." Then, out of nowhere, she jumped on me in a sort of wild hug.

"Ouch, Gwen!" I said.

"Oh, Eileen, I'm so sorry!" she said. "You're right, about everything! It was a stupid thing to do! Those costumes were rubbish anyway."

"It's okay Gwen," I said.

"God, I thought it was a good idea at first, but it was a horrible thing to do!" she said as she clutched me tighter.

"Gwen!" I said. "Do you want to kill me before that shooter gets to me?"

"Ooops," said Gwen. She let go of me and looked at me. "I guess I'll be on my way then." She forlornly started to walk off before I caught her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "You're coming back with me, Pattie's already there!"

"Really?" said Gwen, and she went to hug me again. It was a quicker, softer one this time, but I was still left breathless. "Oh, how can I ever repay you?"

"Stop trying to suffocate me," I said. "My arm is still a little sore."

"Oh, sorry," said Gwen. We started to walk back to the room.

"So," I said. "Guess who I ran into before you?"

"Dunno," said Gwen. "Charlie?"

"No," I said. Charlie was my older brother. "Jerri."

Gwen shuddered. "Ew, what did it say to you?"

I laughed. "Oh, just how she found out that I was staying with The Beatles and how terrible she felt about the second attack." I paused. "She had something hard and metal in her pocket."

Gwen snorted. "Probably something that she puts in her hair to keep it plastered the way it is!" We laughed all the way down to the room. "Wait," said Gwen sharply. "Is Ringo there?"

I nodded. Gwen proceeded to pull a mirror out of her pocket and fixed her hair and makeup. "Okay, I'm ready," she said brightly.

I rolled my eyes as I opened the door. I missed Gwen. I opened the door all the way and walked inside. When Gwen and I walked in, we saw, together under the sheets on the couch, with no visible clothes, George and Pattie.


	14. Chapter 14

I gasped in surprise. Pattie looked up, turned scarlet, gave a little squeak, and grabbed a towel to cover herself as she ran into another room. George fell off the couch with the sheet around him and ran the opposite way. "Pair her up with George Harrison and that's what she does," muttered Gwen quietly. "I always thought Pattie was innocent enough to save that stuff till she was married."

"Obviously not," I said. "I'm gonna go find her."

"Oh, don't yell at her!" said Gwen.

"Why would I yell at her?" I asked. Gwen shrugged as I went off to find Pattie. I found her in the far corner of the closet sobbing.

"Pat?" I said as I approached her. She cried harder. "Pattie, come on, talk to me."

"Oh, Eileen, I just did a bad, bad, bad thing," sobbed Pattie. "Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad." I let her cry into my shoulder.

"Oh, come on Pattie, it's not that bad," I said stroking her hair. "It's not like you're a sixteen-year-old girl doing it. You're a twenty-year-old woman." That didn't seem to make her feel any better.

"It's not that," she wailed. "I barely even know him! I just met him a few weeks ago, and I didn't start talking to him a few days ago!"

"Pattie, hun, he's a _Beatle_," I said. "No one blames you!"

"You haven't done it with Paul, have you?" asked Pattie, sniffling.

"Well, no," I said. "But-" Pattie had begun wailing again.

"That's because I'm a bad person and you're a good one!" she said. "I'm such a dirty little slut!"

I looked her square in the eye. "Pattie Boyd," I said. "You are not a bad person. Now, I hope I'm not getting too personal, but what exactly happened."

Pattie managed to quiet down a little. "Well, just about after you left to find Gwen, George and I were finishing up breakfast," she said. "We were talking about how lay the other three Beatles were, how they weren't up yet and all, and I just started _laughing! _I got a hold of myself, but then George started giving me that stare. He asked me if I was ticklish, and I didn't say anything, because I am, and I don't like being tickled. But he started tickling me anyway, and I started laughing again, and we both fell down tickling each other, and he accidently undid the clips on my dress, and if fell down, and-and then-" Pattie started crying again.

I gave her a hug. "Come on now Pattie," I said. "Go into the bathroom, wash your face off, and get a hold of yourself. Gwen's here!"

"Oh, she'll just bring it up again!" said Pattie.

"No she won't," I said. "I'll make sure of it."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Oh course!" I said. "Do you know what she would have done to be in the same place as you today?" That managed to put a bit of a smile on Pattie's face. She got up to wash her face in the bathroom, and I went out to the main room where I found Gwen and Paul standing.

"What was all that about?" asked Paul sleepily.

"Nothing," I said.

"So," said Paul, coming closer to me. "You didn't kill Gwen yet?"

"She looked like she was going to," said Gwen.

"Oh, come on, Gwen," I said.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I can actually call myself lucky," she said. "He told me what you did to poor John!"

I grinned a little. Paul came closer. "So, Eileen," he said. "Did you tell her about us yet?"

"Oh, no," I said. "Gwen, Paul and I are-" before I could finish what I was saying, John and Ringo came out. Paul promptly jumped away from me when he saw John's face harden.

"Good morning boys!" I said cheerily. "You remember Gwen, right?"

"Oh, how can I forget this one," said John. "The screamie."

"How've you been?" asked Ringo.

"Very fine, thank you," said Gwen, actually curtsying like a lady from the middle-ages. I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, Eileen, d'ya know what's wrong with George?" asked Ringo. "John and I saw him walking into his room, and he locked himself in. We tried to talk to him, but he was just telling us to go away. We've never seen him like this before."

"Except the time he was supposed to get the needle at the doctors' and he hid himself in the bathroom for ten minutes," chuckled John.

Ringo gave him a look. "Would you three happen to have an idea of what may be wrong with him?"

Paul was the only one who was telling the truth in saying, "No," like Gwen and I did.

"Alright then," said Ringo.

"Where's Pattie then?" asked John.

"Right here," said Pattie. She was just walking out of the bathroom. Her eyes were still a little puffy, but she didn't look as if she'd been crying a lot. Her fringe was damp from the sink water being splashed on her face. "What is it?"

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with George?" asked Ringo. Before Pattie had any time to react, Brian came through the door.

"Hello boys!" he said.

"Hey Brian," said John, Paul, and Ringo.

"'lo, Eileen," he said to me.

"Hello," I said.

"Boys, I just wanted to tell you that tomorrow you are to go start recording that song that John and Paul are supposed to be writing."

"Yeah, about that song Eppy," said John, sounding like a guilty child.

"Well, you better get it done soon," said Brian. "Because we're still going to the studio!" His eyes caught Gwen and Pattie. "More girls?" he said. "Boys, ye can't just go picking them up wherever you go-"

"Ah, they're Eileen's," said Paul.

"Yeah, those two crazy birds that she was freakin' out over at the checkout," said John.

"Wasn't one of them a man?" asked Brian, confused.

"Oh, I was the man," said Gwen dreamily.

"All right then," said Brian, rather thrown off.

"So what time are we leaving tomorrow, Eppy?" asked John. Before Brian could answer, there was a crash in the window. The sound of shattering glass was heard, and then the sound of a firing bullet. It thankfully hit the couch. I wheeled around and saw the faceless shooter looking me straight in the eye. I screamed as I dodged another bullet.

"Give in to me!" it hissed. "You can't win!"

"Who are you?" I yelled.

"Eileen," remember the punch!" shouted John. I nodded briskly and bashed my fist into the shooter's face. I could see its face grinning under the mask.

"Big mistake," it hissed again. It held up the gun and loaded. As it cocked the bullet, John raced across to me. Instead of the bullet hitting me in the heart, it hit John in the side. The whole thing happening in slow motion. John falling down to the floor, bleeding, and the shooter hissing and jumping out the window to get away. "John!" I shouted.

_*Later*__  
_John cursed loudly when I tried to lift his shirt up to see the wound. "God woman! Be gentle!" he yelled.

In the far corner, Brian stood, trembling. "Oh, why did this have to happen now? This is absolutely _mad! _Why now, why him?"

"Brian, he'll be okay," I said. "We just have to get him to a doctor. Now John, hold still." I went to his shirt again, but he screamed in pain again.

"Ahhhhh!" he yelled. "Careful!"

"Aw, come on John, you're okay!" said Paul. "Just relax!"

"It's kinda hard to relax right now!" shrieked John. Suddenly, we heard a door open. George had finally came out of his room. Pattie went a little pink when he came into the room, but she managed to keep her cool.

George looked around for a bit and then said, "I missed something big, didn't I?"

"Oh, hell ya did!" yelled John again as I tried to look at his side for the millionth time.

"Well, what happened?" asked George.

"That bloody shooter came again," I said. "Oh, John, you're going to need to take it off!"

"But it _hurts!_" whined John like a little child.

"John, I know how it feels to be shot, it's happened to me before," I said, trying to remain patient, when I was really about to blow my top.

"But you blacked out right after!" he yelled again. "You didn't feel as much pain!"

"John," I said warningly, as if to a young boy.

"Wait," said George. "Wasn't the shooter after you, Eileen, not John?"

"Well, yes," I said, "but John did the stupid thing and took the bloody bullet."

"It was not the stupid thing!" said John. "You could've died!"

"Well, you could've too," I said. "Now hold still, I'm taking the shirt off." John winced a little as I slid his shirt over his wound, but I managed to actually remove it completely. My heart jumped as I saw his features. His body was smooth and freckled, almost like a child's skin. I scanned every inch of his torso, forgetting all about my relationship with Paul, until I saw the bloody bullet wound. It was horrible. It must have been about two inched across, covered in thick, partly dried blood. The middle was the worst, where the bullet was still embedded. There were veins encircling it all around. I gasped in surprise at the severity at the injury.

"Oh God," I said. "John, we have to get you to the hospital _now_."

"What does it look like?" squeaked Brian, peeking out from behind his hands. "I can't look!"

"It's not terrible," said Ringo, trying to bring up the mood a bit.

"Are you kidding?" said Gwen, totally missing the point. "It's bleeding like mad!"

Brian squealed and rushed up to John's side. "Oh my God John!" he said. 'How are we going to get you to the studio tomorrow?"

"We'll do it another time, Brian," said Paul. "We need more time to work on the song anyway."

Brian looked reluctant at first, but then he said, "Oh, okay, I guess that's fair...come on John, let's get you going."

_*At the Hospital*__  
_The doctors had taken John into the hospital room. Gwen and Pattie had gone over to the little cafe, and George and Ringo were sitting in the waiting room. Paul and I were sitting outside under an awning.

"So Paul," I said flatly. "Why wasn't that you that took that bullet?" I was only asking him now because it had just hit me when the excitement died down a bit. I finally had time to think. Paul was the one I was in the relationship with, but he was also the one cowering in the corner when John had leapt in front of me.

"Did you want me to get shot?" asked Paul. "You didn't look happy at John for him taking the bullet."

I sighed. "I know that Paul, but the fact is, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're the one I have a relationship with. I would have expected it to be you to do that instead of John."

Paul just looked at me. "Eileen, you're right," he said, "but to tell you the truth, I was _afraid_. It's a natural reaction, Eileen, you should know!"

"Yes, I know," I said, bristling at the edges a bit. "But the point I want to make with you is that if it was you back there instead of me, I would have been the first one to take that bullet for you, even if I was scared. That fear is supposed to disappear for someone that you have feelings for." I stopped, having made my point.

Paul sighed. He came closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders. For some reason the usual chill that he caused didn't come this time, but it was probably because I was mad at him for the moment. Wow, mad at Paul McCartney. I never thought I'd see the day...

"Eileen Carter," he said to me with a warm, sincere voice. "You know I love you, and I would never want to see you hurt. And you're right, I should have done it instead of John, but I was stupid and didn't."

"Paul, you're not stupid," I said.

"I was stupid for not being there for you," said Paul. He kissed me, but I only felt small sparks instead of the fireworks of that night at the club. Maybe once tomorrow comes, I thought, I won't be mad at him as much.

"Are we interrupting something?" I heard a voice say. I looked up to see George, Ringo, Gwen, and Pattie standing over Paul and I.

"Oh," I said. "Sorry."

"No problem," said Gwen again. "John wants to speak to you Eileen."

"Really?" I asked. I looked over questionably at Paul.

"You can go Eileen, I don't own you!" said Paul.

"Or do you?" said Ringo.

"Are you kidding, Ringo?" said George, obviously in a better mood that this morning. "She owns him!" We all laughed at that remark. I had thought that would have been more John-ish.

"All right, I'm coming," I said, getting up.

"Eileen," called George quietly. He waved his hand for me to follow him.

"What is it, George?" I asked.

George hesitated at first, but then he spoke. "D-do you know what happened this morning? I mean with Pattie and me." he was turning scarlet at the thought.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Why?"

George rubbed his eye. "I did something wrong, didn't I? She won't talk to me at all now!"

I laughed.

"What?" asked George, slightly confused.

"George, it's not that she doesn't want to talk to you because you did something!" I said, still laughing. "She's just bloody embarrassed!"

"Embarrassed?" asked George.

"Yes!" I said.

"Oh," said George. "All right then."

"You can go talk to her," I said, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"I-I don't know Eileen," said George.

"Come on," I said. "She loves you!" must have said that pretty loud, because I heard Paul's obnoxious shout-sing of, "YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!" from outside. George and I both laughed.

"Good luck then," I said to George. He nodded and advanced to Pattie as I made my way to John's room.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hi John," I said as I peeked my head inside his room in the hospital. John was lying on the bed with an I.V. (did they have those in the 60s?) in his arm and a large bandage around his side. I realized he still didn't have his shirt on, but I tried not to let it distract me. Paul, I thought. Think of Paul. Oh, wait, Paul who didn't risk his life for me like John? I decided with myself to drop the subject.

"Hey there Eileen," said John hoarsely. The weakness of his voice made me flinch. "Come on in."

I nodded and came in. I pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

John tried to shrug, but stopped midway. "Better, I guess," he said. "They took the bullet out, so I'm a little sore, but other than that, I'm fine."

"That's good to know," I said. "Listen, John, you really didn't-"

"But I did," said John. He smirked a little. "I hope you noticed Paul cowering over in the corner," he said.

"Yes, I did notice," I said. "I spoke to him about it."

"And what did he say?" asked John.

"He just said he was scared," I said. "Weren't you?"

"Well, yeah," said John. "But I ignored it. I couldn't just let that big ugly brute shoot you Eileen, I care about you too much."

"You do?" I asked, my face growing hot.

"Yeah," said John. " I know that I haven't known you very long, but I feel-well-you know-close to you."

Close to me? John Lennon, feel close to _me?_ "Thanks," was all I could mutter.

"The fear just disappears when someone that you love is in danger," said John.

"Love?" I said, heart leaping. Did he just say he loved me?

"I said 'care about'," said John quickly, going red.

"Oh," I said. There was a silence for a while. I pulled a lock of my hair, and John just stared up at the ceiling. I studied his face with the advantage of the quiet. It was round, much like Pattie's, but his eyes were brown and narrow, always with a cynical look in them. His mouth was thin too, and in a straight line, except when he smiled. I noticed an extra amount of concentration in his expression as he studied the ceiling tiles, his eyes flitting every which way. Then he turned his head to look at me again.

"I hope you know that Paul's not the one for you, Eileen," he said.

"You've told me that before," I said. _And maybe you're right.__  
_

"I know I have, I just want to make a point," said John.

"I know," I said. "It's just that-"

"-you're afraid to leave him," said John. "I can see that. I can see it every time you're around him. You thought he was the one at first, but now you see that you can do better than him. You're regretting, but you're too afraid to end it because you want to avoid any more disappointment in your life. I know."

I sat there, shocked. Even Gwen and Pattie would not have been able to sum how I felt up like John did just now. I silently nodded. "Who do you think is for me?" I asked.  
John attempted a shrug again. "Who knows?" he said. "It could be anyone. Someone you're never met before, your best friend's boyfriend, your brother's friend, one of us..." he trailed off, biting his lip.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked slyly. I tried to pretend I hadn't heard his conversation with Paul after the night at the club.

John sighed. "What I'm trying to say, Eileen, is that there are all these places I remember, all throughout my life. Yeah, some have changed and all, but they're still there. And these places bring back memories of lovers and friends, both old and new, dead and living, and I've loved them all. But out of all those people, I can't compare any with you. In my life, all I have to say is I-"

"Eileen!" I heard George shout from outside the room. John and I froze in out spots. I noticed that I was very close to John. Were we going to kiss?

"Go," said John, very red. "I'll-I'll tell you later."

"Kay," I said softly, blushing also. I got up to see what George wanted. When I was out of the room with the door closed behind me, I put a hand on my throbbing heart. We had almost kissed! What was going on here? I wished that George had waited a little longer to call me, so John could finish what he had to say. And what was I feeling right now? I couldn't tell. George came running up to me, with a look of triumph on his face.

"Hey Eileen," he said happily.

"Hey George," I said. "Talk to Pattie?"

"Oh, you bet I did!" said George. "And you know what she said?"

"What?" I asked.

"She said it was the best night-er-morning of her life!" shouted George suddenly. "She was just embarrassed, but I still have her!"

"That's great!" I said. I had never seen a smile that big on George's face before. I thought that all the skin would rip apart.

"Oh yeah!" said George again. "Score!" He leapt up with his fist in the air as he ran off, but hit his head on the ceiling. "Ow!"

I laughed. George was a character.

_*At a Different Hotel*__  
_"Why are we in a different hotel, again?" asked Ringo.

"So that maniac won't be able to find Eileen again," said Paul with his arm around me. It was getting very hard to concentrate on Paul now after my talk with John, who was still at the hospital.

"Hopefully this one will be safe," said Brian. He opened the room door with the key, and we all stepped inside. Brian rounded on Paul. "No funny business with Eileen, you hear?"

"Yes sir!" said Paul, saluting Brian.

"God," said Brian. "I get that from John, I don't need it from you when he's away." Paul nodded and I giggled. I couldn't set my emotions straight at the moment. My attention slowly drifted back to Paul. It was probably that joke he cracked, or maybe because John wasn't here, and the only reason that I didn't go for any of the others was because George was taken by Pattie and Ringo was on his way to be snatched up by Gwen sooner or later. Whatever the reason was, it was sure giving me one hell of a headache just thinking about it.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Gwen. "We need to figure out who this blinkin' maniac is!"

"I agree," said George.

"But you are not going to go after who it is!" said Brian. "Because if you do, you can consider yourselves done for!" Paul had no joke to make for that one. On that note, Brian left the six of us in the room.

"When do you suppose John'll be out?" asked Ringo.

"Soon, I hope," I said.

"He really took a blow, didn't he?" said Pattie. "I thought he was done for!"

George grimaced. "Geez, Pattie, don't think like that! So dark!"

"Sorry," said Pattie.

"Yeah, Pat, John wasn't gonna die," I said.

"I like Eileen's point of view better," said George, still biting his lip.

"Can we not speak about the bad things that came out of this," said Ringo. "It's depressing, it is."

"Yeah, let's be happy!" said Gwen, throwing her arms up in the air and falling into Ringo's lap. Paul held me closer. He obviously wanted me to be that enthusiastic about him.

"So, what did John say to you back at the hospital?" asked Paul. Oh Geez. Should I tell him? I was just about to open my mouth to lie when I was interrupted by our door opening. It was room service.

"'Ello," he said. "I've got a message for a Miss Eileen Carter. Is she here?"

"Right here," I said, relieved. I wrenched myself out of Paul's grip and took the envelope. "Thank you sir," I said. The man nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"What does it say?" asked Gwen.

I cleared my throat and read:

_"The agents at the Liverpool Modeling Agency wish to have you, Eileen Carter, back at our agency tomorrow afternoon for a photoshoot relating to recent Beatle-related events. Not only will this be a photoshoot, but it will be an interview as well. You will be attending this photoshoot alone, with no other models. Come looking nice, but as you know, you will go through wardrobe-change and be made-up. That is all, and everyone at the agency will be happy to have you back!_

_Sincerely, Mrs. Valarie Jones."__  
_

I stopped reading and there was silence. Gwen was the first to speak up.

"Val wants you there alone?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said.

"But we've always been a team!" said Pattie. "The three of us; we've never done a photoshoot apart before! Ever since the beginning! Always together!"

"And not to mention that we're just as much involved in this fix as you are!" said Gwen, shooting up from Ringo's lap.

"I know guys," I said. "I'm sorry. I can't control it."

"Who is this Valarie bird anyway?" asked Paul.

"The agent in charge of out agency," I said bitterly. Now that I thought about it, she started to remind me of an auburn-haired Jerri.

"Ah," said Paul. "What's she like?"

"Snobby," I said.

"Too perfect," said Pattie.

"A bit like Jerri," said Gwen, reading my mind.

George and Ringo snorted. "But it's so true," I said with malice. "I personally can't tell who's worse."

"She mothers us," said Gwen.

"But I have to go to this tomorrow," I said. "What Valarie Jones says, goes." Before I knew it, tomorrow had come. I was just putting on my finishing touches. I wore a plain white dress, and my hair was down, as usual. I walked out into the main room to say goodbye to everybody.

"See ya guys," I said.

"Bye, Eileen," said Paul, giving me a peck on the lips. I held my breath. What was I to do about him?

"See you later mate," said Gwen, giving me a hug.

"Tell us how it went," said Pattie. I waved goodbye to George and Ringo, and walked out of the hotel.

"Taxi!" I shouted at one coming towards me. The driver stopped, and I clamored in.

"And where can I take ye, lass?" asked the fat, middle-aged driver.

"Liverpool Modeling Agency," I said.

"Ah, you're that Eileen Carter, are ye?" asked the driver.

"Um...yes," I said. "How did you know?"

The driver shrugged. "Well, everyone here knows that this is the 'otel The Beatles are stayin' at, and you're a model going to the agency, obviously for an interview and a photoshoot, so I'd say it was a lucky guess!"

"You're good," I said in awe.

"Thank you lass," said the driver. He drove off.

"Say, do others know about me?" I asked as we were driving.

"Oh, you're all over the place!" said the driver with a booming laugh. "Why, I'm surprised that you haven't been interviewed sooner!"

I laughed nervously. This was very strange indeed. "Really?" I asked.

"Well, I think so, but that's just my opinion," said the driver. We had pulled up at the driveway of the agency in a few short minutes. Before I got out, I pulled some money out of the pocket of my dress to pay the driver.

"Here you go," I said, handing it to him, but he refused.

"Nah, Miss, you don' have to pay me," said the driver. "Just go on and do your thing in there."

"Thank you sir," I said.

"Don' mention it, lass!" said the driver. "And by the way, m'name's Gregory!" With a final nod, he drove off, leaving me at the front of the agency. It seemed like such a long time since I was last there. A few weeks, actually. I was used to being here every day. As I walked up to the door, I saw the flat where Gwen, Pattie, and I lived. Or used to live; we've been all over the place so much lately that I didn't know where we lived anymore. I wondered if Gwen's George Harrison poster was still there...

As soon as I opened the door, Valarie Jones was standing right there in the doorway. She was a tall woman, about ten or so years older than me. She had glossy auburn curls, a huge smile, and big green eyes that always seemed to be popping out of her head, and to top it all off, she was pregnant. About six months along, give or take.

"Oh, Eileen, I'm so glad you were able to make it!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "We've missed you so much here! Tell me, how are Gwen and Pattie?"

"Oh, they're fine," I said as we walked inside.

"Well, that's good then," said Valarie.

"How's the baby?" I asked.

Valarie rubbed her swollen belly. "He's fine," she said. "Kicks a lot, though." Valarie was very high-strung, and sometimes she wasn't very fun to be around, but I didn't hate her. No one really did, but she was just tiring. "Here we are, Eileen, time for a fix-up!"

I was now in the familiar setting of the makeup booth. All the artists were greeting me like they haven't seen me in years, but I was glad I was well-enough liked that they did. When they were done with me, I was wearing a white dress with black music notes on it, and very dark eyeliner with shimmery green eyeshadow, red lipstick, and my hair tied back in a ponytail. I was surprised. I hadn't seen myself looking like this since my first day filming the movie, which was now called "A Hard Day's Night." I actually looked pretty darn good.

"Okay, Eileen, time to get to the set," said Valarie, guiding me to the area. Once we got there, I saw someone else standing there. A man. I looked closer and I saw, in a nice black suit, his hair neatly combed, John Lennon, looking at me and seeming as though he was never shot in the first place.


	16. Chapter 16

"John?" I said, staring in disbelief that the guy who was talking so weakly in the hospital yesterday was standing in front of me like he had a completely normal past two days.

"Yes, love?" he replied.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked cautiously.

John nodded casually. "Yeah, lots!"

"Okay then..." I said. "What are you doing here?"

John let out a bark of laughter. "Well, you didn't think that the people here would let you do a photoshoot without the man who saved your life twice, now did you?"

I shook my fringe out of my face. "So...you're doing the shoot with me?" I asked.

"I think we've established that," said John. "By the way, Eileen, you really should wear your hair up more often; it suits you."

I blushed a little. "Thanks," I said. As I walked with him to the set, I started to think about what he was starting to say to me at the hospital yesterday. Did he remember he said it? If he remembered, did he mean it? I wasn't going to ask him about it now, but I sure was racking my brains about it. When we got to the set, we were instructed on how to pose with each other.

"Now, kids," said the photographer, who I was almost all sure was flaming, "I want you to do this: Eileen, baby, put your arm around Johnny's waist-just like that, that's the ticket. Now, Johnny darling, while she has her arm there, I want you to scoop her up, like you're carrying your bride. Just like that, good! Okay, you're all set!"

The end result was a rather sensual pose. John had me scooped up in his arms bridal-style, with his hand on my legs, and I had my arm wrapped low around his waist. I hoped I wasn't going to blush for the camera. I had to look serious. This is what I did for a living, after all.

"Okay, kids, look serious!" said the photographer as he snapped the first picture. After that, we shot more, sensual pictures, including one where John was behind me, encircling my waist with his arms, his head leaning over my shoulder. The rest were fun poses, where we were laughing and falling and goofing around. I noticed that in the background of these, the speakers were playing one of the songs from the movie, "If I Fell." The one that John and Paul sang together, but John wrote. I suddenly felt something inside of me that I never felt before. It was a happy, sweeping feeling that only came once in a lifetime. It was a feeling deep in my heart, and not just in my eyes or my mind. I had then figured out that I was in love with John.

And there was no escaping this time.

"Thank you so much for coming, Eileen!" yelled Valarie after me and John as we walked out of the studio.

"Well, that was fun," said John. "I mean, I've done photoshoots before, but this one was just different. When are they doing the interview?"

"In about ten or so hours," I said. "How was this one different?" I was curious about the answer.

John shrugged. "Maybe it was you, I guess," he said. "The only other shoots I've done were with the band; you just made it more fun."

"Thanks," I said, going a deeper red than usual.

"So," said John. "What do you want to do for the next ten or so hours?"

My stomach growled. "I guess that's your answer," I said when John laughed.

"Yeah, I'd say," I said, holding back a giggle.

"Wait!" said John suddenly as I started to walk off. Quickly, he pulled a fake mustache out of his suit pocket and stuck it on his face. I let out my giggle. He looked so silly! It reminded me of how Paul looked when he made his first appearance in "A Hard Day's Night." Oh Geez girl! I thought. Keep him out of your mind!

"And the finishing touch!" said John. With a wide flourish of his hand, he reached into his pocket a second time and pulled out a pair of huge, thick-framed glassed. When he put them on, all I could do was laugh hysterically. "Well," he said, with a childlike expression on his face, "I _did _say I idolized Buddy Holly, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," I said, catching my breath. "Can you even _see _in those?"

"Actually, I can," said John. "I usually wear these, but Brian doesn't like me to because he thinks it kills the image of the band. I'm blind as a bat without them."

"Oh," I said. He actually hadn't seen me, what I really look like?

"But," said John, "I have to say, I can tell you look beautiful without these on."

"Thanks," I said, blushing again. We began walking to the nearest restaurant.

"You've been doing that a lot lately, haven't you?" asked John.

"Doing what?" I asked, clueless.

"You know," said John slyly. "Blushing."

"Blushing?" I said, doing just that.

"See, see, you just did it again!" said John, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Oh, shut up," I said, shoving him. He shoved me back, and we continued like that as we got closer to the restaurant. After a while, John had to stop because he was afraid his mustache was going to fall off. It turned out the restaurant was a plain old pizza place, but it was all fine to me. John and I sat down in a booth and soon a waiter took out order. When the waiter walked away, I saw something that almost made me cry out.

Jerri was sitting at a table on the other side of the room, eating a slice of pizza and laughing at something. If that wasn't enough, across from her was none other than my older brother, Charlie. Charlie was twenty-two, two years older than me. He was tall and thin like me, and his face had sharp features like mine, but his hair was a little darker (my hair was closer to platinum blonde) and his eyes more grey than blue. And he was sitting and having a pizza with that bitch Jerri Dunn.

"My God," I whispered.

"Yeah, I see her," said John, craning his neck over to get a better look. "Wonder who that bloke with her is."

"That's my brother," I said shakily.

"Your brother?" said John in disbelief. "He's related to you; he can't be that stupid!"

I snorted. "I thought that too. I guess I was wrong." Our pizza came, and we each grabbed a slice. I took a bite into my slice, and I felt the cheese melting on my tongue and the hot grease pooling in my mouth. John took a bite of his, and a bit of cheese got stuck in his fake mustache. I giggled.

"What love?" asked John.

"You have cheese in your mustache," I said from behind my hand to stop my laughter so that Jerri and Charlie wouldn't hear me.

John felt at his mustache. "Oh, yer right," he said, taking it out. "Bloody thing." When we were done, I made sure we got out as soon as possible, as not to be seen by Jerri and Charlie. Mostly Jerri.

"D'ya think they're dating?" asked John.

"Oh, I hope not," I said, disgusted. "That'd be the day I die."

John looked at his watch. "Eileen, we still have a good nine hours left before the interview; what do you want to do?"

I thought about it for a while, and then said, "I would like to go back to the flat that I had with Pattie and Gwen before all this. Do you mind?"

"Of course not!" said John. "I'd love to see it." It took a few minutes to get down there, but I was soon at the familiarity of my home.

"It feels like such a long time ago," I said as I opened the door. "When it was just me, Pattie, and Gwen. They were good times; I miss those days."

"But you love us," said John.

I laughed. "Yes, I do." I opened the door enough do we could go in, and I flung myself down on my old bed.

"Good idea, Eileen!" said John, pretending to undo his pants.

"John!" I shouted, throwing a pillow at him. Just what me and the girls used to do. In a few short moments, John and I were having a full-on pillow fight. When it was over, John and I were sprawled out next to each other on my bed. Then something on the ceiling caught John's eye.

"What's that?" he asked, getting up and walking away from my bed. What he saw was Gwen's poster of George, taped to the ceiling above her bed.  
I laughed "A poster of George," I said.

"Pattie's bed?" asked John.

"Oh, no," I said. "Gwen's."

"Really?" asked John.

"Yeah," I said. "George practically used to be Gwen's property before the movie. I'm surprised that she and Pattie haven't had a fight over him yet."

"But now Gwen's going to Ringo?" said John.

"I'd say," I said. "He better watch out. I don't even know if she'd try anything with him; she has a boyfriend, but then again, she's Gwen."

John sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "What is that smell?" he asked, revolted. "It smells like shit and roses!"

I let out another bark of laughter. Oh, good times. "That's the poster," I said. "Gwen found it in a rubbish heap, and she sprayed it with rose perfume when Pattie was complaining of the smell!"

"It just made it worse," said John, holding his nose.

"That's just what Pattie said," I said.

"You girls had some good times, didn't you?" asked John.

I nodded. "Yeah, very good times," I said. John's eyes traveled to the far corner of the room, where I kept my piano.

"So, there's that piano that you said you play!" said John, walking towards it.

"Yep," I said. "That's it."

"Why don't you play something?" asked John.

"Um..." I said. I usually didn't like playing for people, but John was looking at me, and his stare was giving me goosebumps. "Okay," I said. I sat down on the stool and positioned my hands. "What should I play?" I asked.

"Anything," said John, sitting next to me on the stool. "I'm listening."

I nodded and began to play an intricate piano version of "Scarborough Faire," and old Middle-Age song that was redone recently by Simon and Garfunkel. It was one of my favorites. In the middle of the song, John joined in playing some lower left-hand moving parts. I faltered for a bit.

"Keep going," said John. "It sounds great." I nodded and kept playing. John's lower notes added more of a depth to the song, making it more melodic and dark. When the song was done, John added a jazzy little tag to it that greatly contrasted to the melancholy mood of "Scarborough Faire." I laughed.

"That was great Eileen," said John. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

I shrugged. "My mum taught me when I was about six, and I liked it so much that she kept on teaching me until she died five years ago." I said. A lump caught in my throat at the memory of my mother.

"She died?" asked John. "I'm sorry." He reached out and hugged me, his embrace warm and soft, and enough to make me melt.

"I was fifteen," I said. "I was coming back home from school and she was in her car waiting for me. She got out of the car to help me with all my stuff, and before I knew it, another car was speeding down the street and swerving, and the driver hit her. She died instantly." I had finished my story, but I refused to cry. Not in front of John.

John embraced me again. "My mum was killed by a drunk police officer when I was eighteen." he said, looking into my eyes. His stare wasn't filled with humor like it usually was-it was instead filled with sadness and loss. It broke my heart.

"Oh, John, that's terrible!" I said. "I'm so sorry! That's far worse than what happened to my mum."

"No it's not," said John. "You were there. I wasn't there when she got killed. I wasn't there in her final moments-that's what she would have wanted. I never really got to see her much, my mum."

"Why?" I asked.

John shrugged. "Well, she and me dad divorced when I was a kid, and I was taken in by me Aunt Mimi."

"So you never got to see your mum again?" I asked, horrified.

"Oh, I got to see her," said John. "Just not very often. I wish I was able to see her more."

"You loved her very much, didn't you?" I asked.

"Very much," whispered John. I suddenly lunged forward at him and hugged him tight. He hugged back. I could feel a slight dampness on my shoulder-he was crying. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"You still have me, John," I said. "I know I'm not much, but-"

John looked me in the eye, pulling away from the hug. "You're everything I want and more, Eileen," he said. It was with such intensity that it scared me. Then, almost as suddenly as I hugged him, he came forward and kissed me, hard at first, but then he softened up, changing from possessive to loving and passionate. It sent chills down my spine, but the good kind. I felt like I was floating, like I wasn't in my old flat anymore. John's fingers worked through my hair, pulling it out of the ponytail it was in before. His lips molded perfectly with mine, fitting every line and crevice. I saw fireworks, unlike Paul's kisses. There was truly something special. John slipped his tongue through my teeth, and a sudden realization hit me. Paul.

"No," I said softly as I pulled away.

"What's wrong?" asked John. "Did I hurt you?" he asked with a sudden urgency.

"No, you didn't," I said.

"Then what happened?" asked John.

"Paul," I said. "I'm still with Paul. I didn't break it off yet. I'm sorry. We can't do this yet."

"It's okay," said John. "I'll be right back." He got up and walked to another room, leaving me sitting at the piano all alone. I touched my lips where he had kissed me. It had felt so right. Why did I have to let Paul get in the way of it? I slowly began to play "Scarborough Faire" again, this time trying to add John's embellishments.


	17. Chapter 17

I tied my hair back up into its ponytail as John was coming back into the room. We smiled shyly at each other, but it was still a little awkward. I tried to forget about the kiss, but it stuck in my brain like a stubborn piece of tape on a finger. I just couldn't get it out of my mind! I was in love with John, and he obviously felt the same, but even though Paul didn't make me feel the way John did, I was still Paul's girlfriend. It felt wrong to kiss someone who was a very good friend of his behind his back when we were still together. It hit me that Paul and I were together for only a few days. Should I break it off and tell him what I felt for John? He would probably never forgive either of us. My thought scattered when John began to speak.

"Do you think we should be heading back for the interview now?" he asked.

I looked at my watch. It was about twelve o' clock when we were at the photoshoot, and now it was nine-thirty p.m.! Boy, did the day fly by! "Yeah, defiantly," I said. "Hold on, I'll be back in a sec." I went into the bathroom and fixed my hair up a bit and put some blush on my cheeks. "Okay," I said as I walked out. "I'm ready."

"We wasted the whole day away!" said John. "We didn't even eat dinner, did we?"

I laughed. "No," I said. "We had lunch, and that's where we saw Jerri with my brother."

"I still thought he'd be smarter, being related to you," said John, shaking his head. It was a very short walk to the studio, and when we got inside, John had taken off his glasses and fake mustache. I was confused. He was acting so normal around me, when I was feeling like my heart would blow up any second! Did he forget about the kiss we had only a few minutes ago already? Or was he trying to make me feel comfortable around him? If that was the case, it certainly wasn't doing much.

"Hello, Eileen, John!" said a cheery Valarie when she saw us, rubbing her pregnant belly. "You're just in time for the interview! Sorry we had to have it so late; it was the only time we had."

"That's okay," I said, sitting down in a chair. John sat in the one next to me, and for a second his arm brushed mine. I jumped and stiffened, the soft hairs on his arm sending chills through me. His skin was so warm!

"So," said Valarie, taking out a notepad and a pencil. "This is very simple, really. I'm going to ask you some questions, mostly Eileen, John, I hope you don't mind-"

"Not at all, ma'm," said John. "Ask her all you want."

Valarie nodded politely. "Thank you sir," she said. "Alright, Eileen, I'll ask you some questions, and you'll answer them best you can!"

"I'll do that Val," I said. Valarie smiled sweetly.

"Okay," she said. "First question: what is your overall opinion of staying with The Beatles?"

"I like it very much," I said. "It was a little unrealistic at first, but I find it a very nice thing now that I'm used to it." I saw John smile.

Valarie laughed. "Good! Next question: is it only you that is staying with them?"

"No," I said. "Gwen and Pattie are there too. They-or should I say Gwen-had to be a little 'sneaky' to get in, but they did."

Valarie laughed again. "How did they get in?"

John and I looked at each other with wide grins. "Well..." I said. "From what I understand, they went to the hotel in disguise."

"What were they wearing?" asked Valarie. This was getting good.

"Pattie was dressed like a redheaded woman with big orange glasses and Gwen was dressed like a man with a long, messy beard," I said, holding back some laughter.  
"Really..." said Valarie as she jotted that down. "Next question: many people have heard that there is a maniac with a gun chasing after you. Is that true?"

I nodded gravely. "Yes, it is," I said.

"Can you tell us your experiences?" asked Valarie.

I took a deep breath. I really did not want to relive those experiences, but I answered the question. "The first time it happened was right after filming a few scenes in The Beatles picture, 'A Hard Day's Night'. I was walking home alone because both Pattie and Gwen were doing something with George and Ringo that night, and John was going to a party, and walked into a dark alley."

"Keep going," said Valarie, very interested.

I kept speaking. "In the alley, I heard someone. I turned around and saw a person-I'm not sure if it's a man or a woman-with a gun. It said it was coming for me, and I screamed. Then it shot me in the shoulder. I went unconscious. A few hours later, I woke up in the hospital with Gwen, Pattie, and John there. That's when I found out that John had saved me."

"Very interesting," said Valarie, sucking on the eraser end of her pencil. "John, can you tell me how you saved Eileen's life?"

John swelled with pride. "Well, I was walking to the party I was supposed to go to, but Eileen walking through the ally caught my eye. I wanted to make sure that she'd be alright walking through there all alone, and I was about to walk with her, but then I saw that shooter-I think he was a man, women aren't that mean-comin' at 'er. My first reaction after he shot her was to run at that guy and give him a good beating, which I did, and the little bugga' ran away with his tail between his legs! With that gun still loaded! Couldn't figure that one out. Well, anyway, as soon as the shooter was gone, I hailed the nearest taxi and brought her to the hospital." I felt myself blush. John did all that?

"Now, Eileen," said Valarie. "Can you tell us about any other experiences with the shooter?"

"Yes," I said. "The second time it happened was about a day or two after that. I was driving home from lunch with a-er-acquaintance," I refused to call Jerri Dunn a friend, especially after seeing her with Charlie, "and a little while down the road, my car broke down." Valarie nodded. "I got out of the car and tried to see what was wrong with it."

"What was wrong with it?" asked Valarie, hastily taking notes.

"No gas," I said. "So I waited to see if I could hitchhike off someone. No one came, but I heard a person somewhere else. Then, I hear a loud crack, and a bullet hits my car! I saw the shooter coming at me and shooting, so I ran as fast as I could. As I was running, I ran into Ringo, knocking him down, and he helped me get away from the shooter. That was when we decided I should stay with the band."

"Is there another time?" asked Valarie, excited.

"One more," I said. "It happened a little later, at the old hotel. We were just talking, and all the sudden, the shooter breaks through the window and goes at me. I punched it in the face-" John grinned because he was the one who told me to,"-but it still went for me. It loaded its gun and pointed it at me-"

"This is where it gets good!" said John, bouncing up and down on his chair.

"-and then John dives in front of me and takes the bullet," I said as I finished the story. Then I paused. "Wow," I said. "That happened yesterday!"

"It did?" asked Valarie, not taking her eyes off the paper she was writing on. "Let's move on now: what are your separate opinions of each of The Beatles?"

I took a breath. I didn't want to seem biased about John's friends in front of him, but I had to answer the question as best as I could. "Well..." I said, gathering my thoughts. "Ringo is very sweet. He's a bit childlike, but he's helpful and is a friendly person to just sit and talk to."

"And George, what about him?" asked Valarie.

"George is very nice as well," I said. "He's a little more quiet than the others, but I see him as the calm, balancing one out of the four."

"Paul?"

I paused. How could I say it? I saw John giving me a sort of look out of the corner of my eye, but it was hard to read what it said. I began to speak: "Paul is nice. He's funny and silly in a way. He's actually a little dorky, now that I think about it," I added with a chuckle. Whew, I got out of that alive!

"Now can you tell us about John?" asked Valarie.

I laughed. "Come on, Eileen, tell 'er _everything!"_said John, nudging me in the side with his elbow.

"Okay," I said. "John...where can I start? He's very funny; whenever I need a laugh I know I can come to him. He's even more silly than Paul, but in a flash he can be even more serious than George. He's also kind and caring, and talented."

"I'm all that?" said John with mock surprise, slapping his forehead. "Crist I'm amazing!"

"Oh, yes you are," I said sarcastically, but actually meaning it deep inside.

"Alright, I've got three more questions," said Valarie.

"Let 'em rip, Val!" said John, very cheerful all of the sudden.

Valarie chuckled. "Okay Eileen: what was your initial reaction to The Beatles asking you to stay with them to keep you safe from the shooter?"

"Shock, really," I said. "I was very surprised. I just wasn't expecting any of it. I was happy, of course, who wouldn't be? It meant that they were worried about me, but I was overall surprised, and still am a bit."

"Okay, this next one's for John," said Valarie.

"Ask away!" said John.

Valarie laughed again; not even she could resist his silly little charms. "John, who was the mind behind Eileen staying with you and what was their reasoning?"

"Well," said John. "It was actually Paul who suggested it, and Brian Epstein, our manager, loved it so much that he took it up. Paul thought that because it would be_us_ with her, protecting her, that the shooter would not try to get to her. Unfortunately, we were proven wrong yesterday, but it worked for a while."  
I was confused. Paul suggested it? I was sure that John would have come up with it. After all, he was the one who saved my life twice. Aw well, just try not to analyze it too much, I thought. Just live and let live.

"Alright, Eileen," said Valarie, looking excited again. "Next question."

"Hit me," I said, copying John's stupid little remarks.

"Is there any romance between you and any of The Beatles?"

I froze. What should I say? There was something with me and Paul, but that was slowly coming to a close after only a few days. And John. My feelings for John were strong, and we had kissed back in my flat, but there wasn't a real relationship going on. I searched through my thoughts, looking for an answer. Should I lie and say no? Wait, if I say "no," it really wouldn't be lying because what I had with Paul wan't what you would call romance, and what happened with John back in my flat, even though I loved him, was just an accident. I had made up my mind. When I opened my mouth to answer, John had a very nervous look on his face.

"No," I said. "None at all." John let out a long breath of relief, and I was scared that Valarie would hear it, but she was too busy writing down my reply.

"None at all?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

I shook my head.

"Well, then," she said. "I guess that's it! Have a great day, kids!"

"You too!" I said as John and I walked out the door.

"Why did you tell her 'no' about the romance?" asked John once we were outside waiting for a taxi.

"Because there isn't," I said.

"What about Paul?" John asked.

"What I have with Paul isn't called 'romance,' John," I said. "It's a failed relationship, and even though I care about him as a friend, I'm going to break it off as soon as I can."

"It hasn't been that long with you two yet," said John. "Who knows? You guys could make a great couple."

I turned to John. "John, weren't you the one who was telling me that Paul wasn't right for me?" I asked. John remained silent until the taxi arrived.

"Ay there, Miss Carter!" called the driver. It was Gregory, the driver that had driven me down here this morning.

"Hey, Gregory," I said.

"And John Lennon!" said Gregory. "How d'ya do?"

"Great, sir!" said John, regaining his sunniness. We both sat down in the back and we drove back to the hotel. All through the ride, the three of us were talking about details from the photoshoot and the interview and laughing and joking at John's dumb jokes.

"Ah, that was the best drive I've ever been on!" said Gregory once we got back to the hotel. "You two kids have a good night, right?"

"Thank you!" I said. "You too!" Gregory drove off, and John and I went back up to the room.

"So, that was fun," said John. "Being with famous people has its benefits!"

"I never said it didn't," I said. When we got back into the room, Gwen and Ringo were asleep right next to each other in the middle of the floor. Paul must've been in his room, and Pattie and George were nowhere to be found. God only knew where they were...

"That's cute," said John, pointing at Gwen and Ringo.

"Seems like they're really hitting it off," I said. "Seems like I'm the only one out of us three that hasn't been doing so well with that."

"Oh, you will, trust me," said John.

"I'm gonna get to sleep," I said.

"Okay," said John. "Good night."

"Good night," I said. John looked at me for a moment, and then leaned forward and kissed me. It wasn't as long and deep as the one earlier today, but it left me with the same feeling inside as he walked away. Sighing, I fell asleep on the couch. I had dreams of John.


	18. Chapter 18

Two days had passed since the photoshoot, and I was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. So far, John had not said anything about the kiss in my flat, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Ay, lady!" shouted Paul jokingly from the island in the middle of the main space in the hotel room where everyone else was sitting. "Hurry up with that food!"

"Coming!" I called back. I was very short-tempered today and I couldn't explain why. I knew Paul was just kidding, but he just made me snappy. Well, it was understandable since I knew I was going to have to end it with Paul soon, but I was never snappy when I knew I was ending it with any other guys. But then again, Paul wasn't just any other guy.

"Oh, come on Eileen," said Paul as I walked out with my freshly made plate of cinnamon waffles. "I was only joking."

"Yes, I know," I said quieter and calmer. I sat down next to Paul, who gave me a peck on the lips. I looked over to see if John saw, but he was too busy talking to George. When we started breakfast, I ate ravenously, barely taking the time to breathe.

"Gees, Eileen, are you okay?" said Ringo, closing his conversation with Gwen.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm just feeling very hungry today, that's all." Ringo nodded and went back to talking with Gwen. Gwen seemed really interested in Ringo for someone with a boyfriend back home.

"Hey," said Pattie to me. "Gwen and I were going to go down to the shopping district to get some clothes. Want to come?"  
I shook my head. "Nah, I'm not feeling too well right now. Maybe later." I really wasn't feeling good. I was dizzy and I had a huge headache. What was the matter with me?

"It's okay," said John. "She'll be with us."

"Absolutely nothing to worry about!" said Paul.

"You sure, Eileen?" asked Gwen.

"Yeah, you girls go ahead, have fun," I said. "I just need a rest."

"Alright then," said Pattie. "Bye!"

"We'll get ya something, Eileen!" said Gwen. The girls grabbed their purses and walked out the door. "Well, looks like it's just us five again!" said John.

"Just like old times, eh?" said Paul.

"Those 'old times' were only for about two or so days, Paul," said George. "Hey, Eileen, you okay?"

I groaned. I thought I had figured out what was the matter. I was getting cramps now. It was definitely my period! How could I get it now, around all these-I didn't care if they were The Beatles-boys? Why did it come on the day that Pattie and Gwen decide to go out? Was this punishment for kissing John when I was still with Paul? I bet it was.

And the worst part of it all was I wasn't wearing a liner.

My first instinct was to make a mad dash to the bathroom to change and find a pad in my suitcase, but I was doubled over in pain and could barely move. So all I did was sit crunched up on the couch and hoped that I didn't leak everywhere. I felt someone stand over me, and in my blurred vision, I saw Ringo with a rare look of intense wisdom in his blue eyes.

"Eileen, come with me to the bathroom," he whispered so that no one else could hear. "I promise I won't look; it just doesn't look like you can get there yourself." I let Ringo take a hold of my hand to let me up. I looked behind me at where I was sitting and saw no blood, thank God. "Thank you," I said when I, with Ringo's help, made it painstakingly to the bathroom. I felt like an old lady.

"No problem," said Ringo. When I was inside, he closed the door and waited outside.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Little sister," said Ringo. "Everyone knew when she got hers. She turned into a witch."

"Was I as witch?" I asked, worried. I searched through my bag for a clean dress and panties, and pulled out a pad.

"No," said Ringo from outside. "But I could tell there was something different about you."

"But what I don't get is," I said as I stripped out of my old clothes and into my clean ones with my pad-clad panties, "why did it have to come when Gwen and Pattie went out?"

"Who knows?" asked Ringo. "At least it wasn't when you were out."

"Yeah, but I would have been around girls," I said. Ringo and I walked back into the main room. I was still feeling pain in my lower belly, but at least I was in clean clothes.

"Hey, Eileen, what was that about?" asked George.

"Nothing," I said. "Hey, George, do you have a painkiler or something?"

"I've got it," said John, getting up to go to the kitchen. He came back a second later with a pill and a glass of water, which I took right away. Pity I'd have to wait a few minutes to have it take any effect.

"So, how long are you and your friends usually out for?" asked Paul, who scooted a little closer to me. I felt immediately queasy. God, this had to be the worst period I've ever had.

"Oh, a few hours," I said. "They won't be back for a while."

"What do you want to do?" asked Ringo.

"Eat," I said, the word just slipping out of my mouth.

"Eileen, didn't you just eat breakfast?" asked George.

"I'm hungry today," I said.

"Well then," said John, standing up. "What do you want, we're your humble servants!" He bowed like he was greeting the Queen, and I managed to croak out a laugh.

"Anything with chocolate," I said. Hey, a girl's gotta eat what a girl's gotta eat!

"Right away!" said John, speeding off.

"That John is just something alright," said Ringo, shaking his head. "How we all tolerate him is still a mystery to me."

I shrugged. "He's not that bad," I said. John gave his silly grin that I was addicted to.

"You really think so?" said George. "Don't forget, we've known him longer than you." We laughed until John came back with just about the hugest chocolate sundae (I still don't know how he made it that quickly in the first place) I'd ever seen.

"Don't think I didn't hear that little conversation about me out there, George and Ringo," said John, giving me the sundae, which I devoured without even getting a brainfreeze. "But thank you Eileen, for being on the different side."

I didn't answer; I was too occupied with my ice cream. I finished in about two minutes flat, and when I finally looked up and took a napkin to wipe away what was on my face, I saw all four boys staring at me in disbelief.

"Geez, woman, you okay?" asked Paul in a distant voice.

"Yeah..." I replied hazily.

"I don't think I've ever seen a girl eat like that," said Ringo, shaking his head, blue eyes wide. He gave me a little wink, showing that he knew why I ate so fast.

"I'm glad you liked it," said John.

I smiled. "No problem!" The rest of the time that Gwen and Pattie were out was not as exciting, but the two girls had a big surprise for me when they came back four hours later.

"Hey!" said Gwen as she and Pattie walked through the door. "Eileen, catch!" she threw something at me, but I was still a little slow, so I caught whatever she had with my face instead. All I saw was a blur of blue until I took it off from over my head. What I saw made me want to hug Gwen, but kill her at the same time.

It was a sky-blue dress that would have came up just above my knees if it was on me, with black lace trim. It was sleeveless, and the straps were decorated with a black ribbon tied into a bow. I looked up at the two girls, both with hopeful looks on their faces.

"Do you like it?" asked Pattie, playing with a lock of her hair. "Gwen saw it, and she showed it to me, and we both thought it was something you'd like."

"Yeah, and It'll go great for tonight!" added on Gwen excitedly.

I laughed. "Yes, I do like it, but what's going on tonight?" Gwen and Pattie suddenly looked frustrated. They looked the four boys in the eye, and they smiled sheepishly.

"George!" shouted Pattie, "I told you personally to tell her!"

George laughed. "Sorry, it must've slipped me mind!"

"Oh, well it's too late for you to say anything now, isn't it?" said Pattie again.

"Oh, come on Pat, I just forgot, no need to yell!" said George.

Gwen leaned over to me. "Already like an old married couple," she said quietly, but not quiet enough.

"Gwen!" said Pattie and George in unison. Then they looked at each other.

"Oh, George, I'm sorry I yelled at you sweetie-bear!" said Pattie.

"That's okay, Pattie-Pie, I'll always love you," said George. Then they took each other in their arms and started to kiss feverishly.

I turned red from embarrassment. There were mutters of, "Aw, get a room," and, "Seriously."

"Come on guys," said Ringo. "Let's leave 'em be. We can all get ready for the club tonight."

Paul came up to me snickering. "What's up?" I asked, my face still burning.

"Pattie-Pie," said Paul. "Boy am I gonna give George hell. Or should I say, 'sweetie-bear'."

I brought my new dress and my suitcase into the bathroom with me to change. I put on the dress first, and saw that it complemented my figure greatly, showing just the right amount of skin and curves without looking like a skank off the street. I thought about what to do with my hair. I saw I had a black hair ribbon in my bag, and I decided to tie it back because John liked it so much. I also decided to put on makeup since I was used to it now. When I wore it, there was only a small tickle instead of the excruciating itch that was there before. I put on a lot of smudgy black eyeliner and mascara with some shimmery blue eyeshadow. I decided before I came out to put on some bright red lipstick, and I was set.

"Oh, Eileen, you look absolutely, _beautiful!"_exclaimed Gwen, throwing herself at me.

"Thanks," I said. "You do too."

Gwen swatted her hand. "Oh, you're too kind," she said. She actually did look nice. She was wearing a dark green dress that brought out the brown of her eyes and her hair was teased and curled a little more than usual.

"Oh, I'd love to have this pretty thing on my arm tonight," said a voice behind me. I turned around, hoping and expecting to see John, but it was Paul instead.

"Yes, I'm sure you would," I said, trying to mask my disappointment. Boy, I needed to end it with Paul soon so I didn't have to live like this.

"Where's Pattie?" I asked.

"Over here!" I heard her call. She screamed. "Ah! George, _stop that!"_she laughed.

Gwen and I looked at each other. "I don't even want to know," I said.

"Neither do I," said Gwen. Once everyone else was ready, we left the hotel to go to the club.

"Are you sure you're okay to be out today," said Ringo to me as soon as he caught up to me. "You know, with what you've got goin' on an' everything?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said. Then I saw something that caught my eye. Ringo stopped with me. "No," I said. "You go on, I'll catch up." Ringo nodded and walked off. I walked closer to what I saw.

It was a dark green Chevy parked outside the club. It was a little banged up at the front, but otherwise, it looked fine. In the car was a man sitting in the drivers' seat. He looked to be in his early fifties. He was tall and gaunt with dark eyes. When he looked in my direction, I saw that his eyes weren't only dark, but they were black, like black holes that sucked up all happiness and emotion out of anybody that dared look into them. He almost looked evil, like a storybook villain. But all I could concentrate on where his black, angry eyes. Then I came to a sudden realization as I stared into those horrible eyes that reflected back into mine only hate and terror that pulled me into his gaunt, eaten-away face like two black holes.

I was staring into the very eyes of the man that killed my mother.


	19. Chapter 19

My emotions were in a hurricane-like blur. I couldn't tell if they were amplified because of my period, but I could tell that I was looking at a cold-blooded killer. That was when it all came into place for me. That man had to be the shooter. It made perfect sense! He killed my mother five years ago, and now, for some reason, he wants to get rid of the rest of my family! But what would happen to Dad or Charlie after he got me? No. I would not let that evil man come anywhere near me unless I took him on with my bare hands. Now there was a boiling rage inside of me. A rage that made me want to stride up to that dark green car, steal the man's gun, and shoot him myself. Thinking about the way his blood would feel in my hands made me feel happy. The very thought of seeing him gasp helplessly his last breath of life made me excited. I had never felt this distorted and twisted before. I knew it was wrong, but it just felt so right at the moment. I was just considering striding toward him and wrapping my hands around his throat when a tap on the shoulder stopped me.

"Eileen?" I heard a voice ask, sounding concerned. I wheeled around, alarmed, and I found myself staring into John's worried brown eyes.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked.

I paused. Should I tell him? I knew I could trust him, but I didn't want to lay all my burden on his shoulders. I didn't want him to feel that he had to fix my problem, because that's what I knew he'd do. But then again, would he tell me if he saw the drunk police officer that killed his mother? It seemed like John. But I wasn't John.

"Yeah," I said quickly. I felt a stab in my heart for lying to the man I loved, but none of that mattered now. I had to try and live my life as normal as I could under the circumstances, and then maybe I could tell him.

John's face broke into a relieved smile that broke my heart. "Glad to know that, love," he said. "Why don't you come in? We were all lookin' for ye."

I attempted a smile too. "Okay," I said. John winked at me and held out his arm. I linked my arm in his, and he led me inside the club.

"Hey, hey, can we let Paul see this?" asked John, sounding as amused as a little child, shaking his arm and mine to show what he meant. "It'll be easy to get rid of him after this!"

"No," I said. "It wouldn't be the right way." John's brightness faded somewhat, and I felt bad. Did he love me like I did, or was what he felt the way rock stars feel when they get a hold of an attractive girl? That ran through my brain for a while.

"Hey, Eileen," said Pattie, getting up from George's lap once we were inside the club. "Where were you?"

"I was outside," I said. "I thought I recognized someone I knew." I tried not to shudder at the bitter truth of my words.

"Oh," said Pattie.

"Eileen, are you okay?" asked George. "You don't look so good."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I said quickly. "Where's Gwen?"

"Up on the dance floor with Ringo," said Pattie, nodding her head in their general direction. "I'm telling you, that girl's lucky her boyfriend's not here now. He'd throw a fit!"

"I suppose she is lucky," I said. _You're both lucky that you're in a happily-ever-after with your dream guys._Then it hit me. "Hey, speaking of boyfriends, where is Paul?"

George shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "Last I saw him was walkin' outside."

"Must've been looking for you," said John.  
"Maybe," I said. In a way, I hoped he wasn't. I wanted him to care, but not in the way that I had originally wanted.

"Well, Eileen," said John coyly. "Since yer man's not here right now, how's about a dance?" He held out his hand. Well, I thought, it couldn't do any harm. Paul wasn't here right now anyway, he wouldn't know.

"Alright," I said. At least it would get my mind off of the man outside. I took John's hand, and he led me out on the floor. We just narrowly missed Gwen and Ringo whirling around sharply all over the place, and all they did was laugh and laugh. Yep, Gwen's boyfriend was going to find himself single very soon.

That song ended, and the next one to come on was "I'll Get You."

"Just the right one, too!" said John as he took me by the waist. I just laughed. John twirled me around the floor without a care for anybody that dare get in our way. It was so much different than dancing with Paul. Paul was very tender and soft, and there was nothing wrong with that, but it was just no fun. John, however, had fun written all over him the way he darted all about the place. I don't think I'd even call it dancing! Just goofing off, which was what John did best.

"So, John," I said, out of breath by the middle of the song. "Your side feeling better?"

"Oh, yeah," said John. We both laughed as we realized that he had said "Oh yeah" right when the song lyrics did. "Yer arm?"

I laughed again. "What, that old wound?" I said. "Yeah, all better!"

Our laughter stopped and the last song lyrics sounded out: "It's not like me to pretend, but I'll get you in the end. Yes I will, I'll get you in the end. Oh yeah." John looked like he wanted to say something, but we were called back by George. John swiftly looked away from me and we both went to the table where Gwen and Ringo were already. Paul still wasn't back.

"Hey guys!" said George. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Eric." He gestured to a tall young man with dark hair and hazel eyes sitting next to him.

"Hey," said Eric. "You must be Eileen."

"Yes, I am," I said. "It's nice to meet you."  
"The very same," said Eric. He went back to talk to George when he paused at seeing Pattie next to him. "And who are you?"

Pattie froze. "Um...Pattie, sir, Pattie Boyd." She looked down at the floor.

"Okay, that man is _not _going to try to put the moves on his friend's girlfriend," whispered Gwen to me.

Eric smiled very flirtatiously at Pattie. "I must say, Pattie, that's a very nice name. But I think you look more like a Layla. May I call you Layla?" he asked.

"Oh, yes he is," I said through grated teeth. Could this day get any worse? I get my period, I forcibly get pushed out of the comfort of home (okay, the hotel room), I see my mom's killer who also happened to be the shooting maniac that was after me as far as I know, I can't find my boyfriend in the middle of a club full of attractive women, and finally one of my best friends is getting hit on by her boyfriend's friend. Geez!

Pattie turned beet red at his statement. "Umm...I guess, if you want to..." she said, but I could tell she didn't want anything to do with the name. Eric inched closer to her.

"So, Eric, it was nice to run into you here," said George, sensing the awkwardness and snatching Pattie up before Eric could get anywhere near her.

"It was," said Eric, sounding a little put down. "I'll see you later, then." He got up, gave Pattie one last wink, and left the club.

"I think he likes you," said John with a flat expression.

"You think that," said Pattie the same way.

"I don't like him," said Gwen. "Not at all."

"Oh, come on guys," said George. "Eric's just a gentleman."

"George, I hate to break it to ya," said Ringo, "but I think he was ready to be a little more than gentlemanly to Pattie." Pattie blushed again.

"I have to agree," I said. "But you have to admit, he's brave, going after his friend's girl like that."

George said nothing, but he started playing with the tablecloth.

"So, Eileen," said Ringo, breaking the awkward silence. "Why were you outside for that long? You said you recognized someone?"

A breath got caught in my throat. What should I say? God, this just wasn't going to end! "Uh, yeah," I said. "But I didn't know him."

"Oh, okay, just wondering," said Ringo. "We were worried that that shooter had gotten to you."

The truth of his words shocked me. "Oh, no," I said. "Everything's fine!"

Ringo smiled, which lit up the whole room. "I'm glad to hear it," he said.

It was silent for a moment, but then I decided to get up. "I'm gonna go look for Paul," I said. He had been gone too long, and even though I wanted to end it soon, I still wanted to know where he was at.

"See ya in a year," said Gwen.

"Funny!" I shouted back. Something told me it would take a long time, though. I weaved my way in and out of dancing couples, looking at everybody's faces, trying to make out if they were Paul of not. It seemed that everywhere I looked, he was nowhere to be found. I had just about given up when I heard something:

"Oh, Paulie," said a woman's voice. "I'm so glad you're back from filming. I've been so lonely without you!"

"I know Jane," said a man's voice. Paul's voice. "I've been lonely too." Rage filled me. Not as strong as the rage from seeing the man outside, but it was rage nonetheless. Was this "Jane" the "she" that John had mentioned in his conversation with Paul before? I listened closer.

"I haven't even looked at another man since you left," said Jane.

"And I haven't looked at another girl, love," said Paul. Oh. My. God. What a lie! What was I? Chopped liver? Now I knew I wanted to dump him!

"I knew you wouldn't," said Jane. I peeked behind the wall the two were standing. And, yes, I saw Paul standing with another woman! When I saw Jane, my heart stopped.

She was absolutely beautiful. She had long, thick flaming red hair, a pale complexion, long legs, a winning smile, and brilliant blue eyes. Just plain gorgeous. She made me feel like I had walked out of a rubbish heap. No wonder Paul preferred her over me. Then it hit me, listening to their conversation, that he had been cheating on her with me! That pig McCartney!

"Oh, Paul," said Jane in her beautiful voice. Then Paul kissed her. I had to stop myself from screaming out. It hurt to look, but I couldn't take my eyes away. I could tell just by looking that Paul wasn't kissing Jane like he kissed me. He was full of passion that I never saw in him before. I felt tears begin to burn my eyes, but I held them back. I would not cry over this. Paul and I were over before it started. I thought about rushing away to John's waiting arms, but instead I stood my ground. I was a woman in distress, God damn it! I would not take it! At first, I worried about if I would look like a crazy, jealous fangirl if I called out his name, but I got over it.

"Paul McCartney!" I shrieked. Paul and Jane jumped apart, and I could tell right away from the look on Jane's face that I did not look the least bit like a fangirl.

She looked absolutely horrified. I almost felt sorry that I had to burst in like this, but it was necessary. I wasn't even mad at her; if anything, she should be the one mad at me because she was the original girlfriend.

"Oh...Eileen," said Paul nervously. "Hi."

"Paul, what the hell are you doing and who is _she?"_I said.

"Oh-um-she-this is Jane," said Paul in a flustered voice.

"Paul, who's she?" asked Jane suspiciously.

"Um-Eileen," said Paul awkwardly.

"I didn't ask for her name," I said. "I asked who she was!"

"Eileen, calm down," said Paul. "It's not what it looks like."

"Oh, I think it is!" I yelled. I mocked Paul's lovey-dovey voice: "'And I haven't looked at another girl, love!' What was that supposed to be, tell me!"

Jane, who was just standing by, looked as if she was piecing all the words we were saying together. She was looking swiftly from me to Paul, with an outraged expression.

"And I saw you kissing her too!" I screamed. "It looks to me like I was another woman!"

"Now, Eileen..." said Paul.

"Is that all I was to you?" I asked. I turned to Jane. "Lady, I'll have you know that your 'Paulie' has looked at another girl, and that girl happened to be me!"

"You!" said Jane, looking at me as if she found me on the bottom of her shoe. Then she looked to Paul. "Paul, is this true?"

"I-yes," said Paul, defeated.

"And let me tell you," I said, to both of them. "Beatle or no Beatle, going with that whole charade was probably one of the biggest bloody mistakes of my life!" I turned to Paul. "And I was thinking about dumping you anyway, so I guess that just made it one bit easier. Thanks for leading me on-now get lost." I stomped away in a huff, making sure to flip my ponytail in Paul's face. The tears behind my eyes were painful, but I would not cry. Behind me, I heard Jane confronting Paul, and I felt really bad that I ruined what could have been a very good relationship. I could have gotten Paul in private, after we went back to the hotel room, but then there would be no proof. And maybe I did Jane good by doing it in front of her. Who knows how many other girls Paul's messing around with behind her back?

"Did ya find Paul?" asked Gwen.

"Oh, yeah, I found him alright," I said. I looked at John, George, and Ringo. "Do any of you guys happen to know a 'Jane' girl?"

The three of them exchanged guilty glances with each other, John's being the guiltiest. "Well," said Ringo cautiously. "We kinda did..."

"What?" I exploded. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Um.." said George. "I guess you could put it that way."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, still annoyed.

"I tried!" said John. "I told you he wasn't right for you!"

"How was I supposed to know you were trying to tell me that he had a girlfriend behind my back?" I yelled.

"So, wait up," said Gwen. "Are you saying that Paul was cheating on you?"

"No," I said. "He wasn't cheating on me. He was cheating on his girlfriend with me!"

"Were they talking?" asked Pattie

I nodded.

"What did they say?" asked Pattie again.  
I took a deep breath and started from the very beginning. I told them everything I heard and saw, and everything I, Jane, and Paul said.

Once I was finished, everyone was quiet. "Ouch," said Ringo. "I'm sorry, Eileen."

"Oh, that's okay, I was going to drop him anyway," I said. Boy, did those tears want to come out!

"Eileen, do you want to go back to the hotel?" asked John.

I thought about it for a moment. I shouldn't let something like a pig like Paul ruin my day, but seeing as my day was already ruined from the start, I took John up. "Yeah," I said.

"I'll drive you," said John. He got up and helped me up with his hand. He kept a hold of my hand all the way out.

It was soft and warm, except for his fingertips that were made rough by playing guitar. I could tell that he really cared for me. When we got to his car, he opened the door for me and helped me in. We were both inside, and he started the car to go.

"Thanks, John," I said.

"No problem, love," said John. It was quiet for a moment, and then he spoke. "That dress looks real nice on you."

"Oh, thanks," I said, looking down on it.

"Yeah, it really brings out yer eyes," he said. "The blue."

"Yeah, I guess," I said.

"I always liked blue eyes," said John. "Of course, Ringo's an exception."

I laughed. "I'd hope," I said.

"I'm sorry you and Paul didn't work out," said John.

"It's not a problem," I said. "Fairytales always have an ending."

"But they're supposed to be happily-ever-after," said John.

I shrugged. "Then maybe my fairytale's not quite at the end yet," I said.

"Still lookin' for Prince Charming?" asked John, grinning.

I shrugged again. "Maybe, maybe not," I said.

"I hate it when people say that," said John. We were back at the hotel now, and John and I were walking to the room.

"You sure you don't want to go back?" I asked.

"Yeah," said John. "I'm worn out, and I don't know how smart it would be to leave you alone anywhere with that shooter on the loose." I wanted so bad to tell him what I had seen outside, but I couldn't.

"Thanks," I said.

John winked at me as we walked into the room.

I yawned. "Getting tired," I said.

"Me too," said John. I changed into my pajamas and took all my makeup off in the bathroom and headed into an empty bedroom. The boys were probably going to be out all night, so I decided to take advantage of a real bed. I was crawling into the sheets when John came in. He sat down on the bed and laid down.

"John?" I asked sleepily. "What are you doing?"

"This is my room, love," said John.

"Oh," I said. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, Eileen," said John. "I don't mind one bit." He came closer to me and looked in my eyes. Nothing could amount to the quantity of love I saw in them. He leaned forward and kissed me, setting off fireworks in my head, and I kissed him back. So much passion, so much loving care. I wondered if that was how Jane felt when Paul kissed her. No, this was better, it had to be.

"I love you, Eileen," said John in between kisses.

"I love you to, John," I said back. I had said it. I felt like jumping up and down and screaming, but I couldn't. John kissed me again, and my emotions blurred as his hands reached toward the buttons on my nightgown. Oh, John. He was finally mine.


	20. Chapter 20

I woke up to a bird chirping outside and the sun's light shining through my closed eyelids. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and stretched and yawned hugely. I noticed that my outstretched arm hit something soft and warm. I looked over sharply to my right and saw that what I had hit was the back of John's head. Geez, what happened last night? I thought to myself. I truly felt like a truck hit me, but somehow good. I was trying to sort everything out in my head when I saw the pile of clothes scattered around the floor by the bed. Oh, that sure did jog my memory! I realized with a faint blush what I did last night after John had drove me home from the club.

I jumped out of bed and put some clothes on. I ran in front of a mirror to brush my hair, and when I was done with that, I went to the side of the bed to John.

I had never seen John asleep. The closest I'd come to seeing him asleep was when he was in the hospital four days ago. I took the advantage of the time to study him. His face looked serene and calm, like an angel. His eyelashes were not terribly long, but I still loved the way they fanned out when his eyes were closed. His mouth was closed and set in a straight line, making him look serious. I laughed when I remembered he was very rarely serious.

"What's so funny?" he suddenly asked, his eyes still closed. I jumped, not expecting him to say anything.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly. "I thought you were asleep."

"No," said John. "I've been awake for a few minutes, I was just resting."

"Okay," I said, embarrassed. I was glad I didn't say everything I was thinking about him out loud.

John opened his eyes and looked at me. "Christ, woman, didn't you just get up?" he said.

"Yeah," I said. "I just get dressed quickly."

"Boy, do you," said John. He stretched and sat up. "I'm gonna get dressed." When he got up out of bed, I saw with a slight jolt that he was not wearing anything. Embarrassed, I sharply looked away, face burning. It was still a little awkward.

"Something wrong?" said John. I heard the rustling of clothes that told me he was getting dressed.

"No," I said quickly. "I'm gonna go get some breakfast." I swiftly ran out of the room with a red face. When I got out to the main room, I saw George, Pattie, Gwen, and Ringo sitting around the island. When Pattie saw me, she immediately jumped up and rushed to me.

"What's up, Pat?" I asked.

"Eileen," said Pattie quietly. "Eileen, I need to borrow your pink dress."

"Why?" I asked.  
Pattie looked around cautiously, and then she grinned triumphantly. "I'm going on my first actual date with George today!" she said.

"Really?" I asked, happy for her. "When?"

"We're leaving this morning, and we'll be gone all day!"

"Oh, Pattie, that's great!" I said.

"I know!" she said.

"Ya need the dress now?" I asked.

Pattie nodded, and the two of us rushed off to the bathroom where my suitcase was. When Pattie got her hands on my dress, I went back outside to the island. "Hey, guys," I said.

"Hey," said Gwen. "Sorry 'bout last night."

I shrugged. "That's okay," I said. "Where is he anyway, Paul, I mean."

The three of them shrugged. "Dunno," said George. "Supposedly he felt real bad about what happened."

I snorted. "Yeah, sure," I said. "Whatever."

George sighed. "Aw, come on Eileen, don't take it so bad. Everything will turn out fine."

"Oh, really?" I said sarcastically. "I hope so!"

"Love, you should listen to George," said Ringo. "He has a right mind."

"He's right, you know," said George.

"Paul just seemed like a big jerk anyway," said Gwen. "That just goes to show you that just because your man's famous doesn't mean that he's 'the one'." Ringo looked slightly peeved.

"Oh, sorry," said Gwen, noticing Ringo. "Even though we're not dating..."

"How long were you with Paul, anyway?" asked George.

I thought back. It wasn't that long to begin with, but I was really surprised when I figured out how short it was. "Six days," I said.

"Not even a week," said Ringo.

"Wow," said Gwen. "That short." The conversation was cut short by Pattie coming into the room. She looked great. She was wearing my pink dress that looked perfect on her, a little knit pink beret on her head, her hair was curled, and she was holding a small white handbag in front of her with both hands.

"Pat!" I said. "You look fab!"

"I'll say," said George, approaching her. "Hey there, beautiful."

"Oh, you," said Pattie, pecking him on the lips. "George, I need to talk to Eileen for a bit, in private, do you mind?"

"No, not at all," said George. Pattie nodded and took me into George's room.

"So," said Pattie. "What was going on with you and John last night after you left?"  
I turned bright red. Pattie bright red.

"Well?" said Pattie, raising her eyebrows.

I took a deep breath and told her what had gone on. I said it quietly, just in case someone was close by, and when I finished, Pattie was giving me an almost Gwen-ish look.

"So," she said. "I guess I'm not the only one anymore. At least you didn't get walked in on." Now it was her turn to blush.

"Yeah," I said dreamily. It just felt so unreal! I would have never felt this way with Paul."

"Alright," said Pattie. "I just wanted to know. Well, I've got to go on my date!" She skipped off to the main room with me following her at a steady walking pace. John had joined everyone when we came out, and I felt my face grow hot and my insides twist up. This would take some getting used to.

"Hey, Eileen," said John. "Good to see you out of hibernation!" He gave that goofy, childish grin.

"Yeah," I said. I sat down at the island. I glanced over at George and saw he looked very peeved at something. Pattie noticed too, and we both shrugged at each other. "What's wrong, George?" I asked.

"Brian just told me that he is chaperoning my date with Pattie!" he said, angry.

"Why?" asked Pattie, as outraged as he.

"Because he 'doesn't want anything to happen'!" said George. "I swear, I don't know why he doesn't trust any of us with girls."

"George, as annoying as that may be," said Pattie, "I'm sure he only means it for the best."

George grunted and that ended that conversation. There was a knock on the door and John sprung up to answer it. It was Brian, and when George saw him, he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on George," said Ringo. "I'm sure he'll leave ye be."

"Easy for you to say," said George. "C'mon, Pat." Pattie got up with George and went to Brian.

"Now, kids," said Brian. "I want you to be careful with the press out there, it can get messy."

George grunted again. He was beginning to remind me of a stubborn little boy.

"Mr. Harrison," said Brian. "Behave yourself."

"He will," said Pattie before George could talk back. Gwen held back a giggle. Brian sighed and walked out with the two of them. The door closed behind him, and I barely had a chance to get used to two people not being there when the door opened again. The person that walked through the door made me want to talk about my night with John at the top of my lungs, just to spite him: Paul.

When Gwen, Ringo, and John saw him, all three of them froze, as if waiting for a volcano to erupt, that volcano being me. All motion and matter in the room stood still as Paul and I looked at each other. Paul looked intimidated and frightened, like a small child who was caught stealing from a cookie jar. I made up my mind. I was going to talk to him.

"Paul," I said. "Come with me." I got up off my chair and Paul followed me into another room. I caught sight of the three other people in the room staring at me like it was my final moment on earth.

When we got into the other room, I slammed the door shut. "Eileen, can we talk about this later?" asked Paul, wide-eyed. "Just give me some time."

"No, Paul," I said. "No time for you. We need to talk. Now."

"But we already talked!" he said.

I sighed. "I know that, but I need to find out why you did what you did."

"Eileen, there's no point!" said Paul, waving his arms in the air. "All that's gonna come out of that is more shouting at me!"

"Well, maybe you deserve it!" I shouted, making Paul flinch. "Maybe you deserve the shouting! Maybe it'll make you think next time you play with girls! I honestly thought you cared for me a little bit!"

Paul sighed. "Eileen, love-"

"Don't you call me that!" I growled through gritted teeth.

"Fine," said Paul. "Eileen, we didn't even make a week. If you'd just give me one more day, I'd-"

"You'd what?" I said. "Play that stupid game of fooling me and Jane? Just face it, Paul, we're through."

"Eileen, please!" pleaded Paul. "I'd do anything!"

"Would you drop Jane?" I asked. I stood still, waiting for a response.

There wasn't one for a long time. Paul stood silent, biting at his finger, staring at nothing in particular. I decided to answer for him. "No," I said. "You wouldn't. Because you know that she's the one for you, and the other girls you've got lined up for you behind her back are just the side dishes. That's why you won't let her go."

Paul still said nothing, but he looked defeated. He looked down at the carpet and sighed. "Eileen, you never know what could have happened with us. We could've been great."

"I thought that too," I said. "But that was before I saw Jane." Then I thought of something. Why I would think of something as terrible and frightening as this, I don't know. It hurt to say it, but I got the nerve. "Paul," I said, feeling choked up. "I think, until we get this fully sorted out, it's the best thing not to speak to each other. For now."

Then I left the room, leaving Paul alone and confused.

I truly felt like a monster, but then I remembered that Paul was the monster, how horrible he was to Jane and me. I closed the door behind me and walked out to the island. Now only John was sitting there.

"Hey, John," I said, sitting next to him. I felt like flying away.

"Hey there, Eileen," said John. He stared out the window, the sunlight turning his brown eyes to a soft maple colour. It was quiet for some time, but then he spoke.

"Listen, Eileen," he said. "What happened last night, I really didn't mean for it. I just felt bad about you and Paul."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

John sighed, much like Paul. "What I mean is," he said, directing a friendly, just friendly, smile at me, "is that I think we should be just friends from now on."

My breath caught in my throat, seriously shocked. Just friends? Didn't he say he loved me? Wasn't it the truth?

"Well," said John, still smiling. "What d'ya think?"

"Um..." I said. "Okay. I-I need some fresh air." I began to walk out of the room.

"Something wrong?" asked John.

Yes. "No," I said. "I just need to go outside. Alone. I had a run-in with Paul." Then I left. I hailed a cab outside the hotel and climbed in.

"Hey there, Eileen!" said the driver. It was Gregory.

"Hey Gregory," I said.

"So," said Gregory. "Where to?"

"Anywhere's fine," I said. "I really don't care." Then we drove off.  
_*One Week Later*__  
_Once again, I was walking around town alone. I had taken to that ever since last week. In that time, Paul and I haven't said so much as a single word to each other, and John's limit of friendly affection was a very rare kiss on the cheek that still sent butterflies through me. I remembered that he had given me one of those before I left. I lightly touched the spot where his lips had contacted with my skin and sighed. What was so wrong about loving him?

I was making my way down a crowded Liverpool street when I heard a shout.

"It's her!" sounded an angry girl's voice like a high notie from a trumpet. "The girl that did the interview with John Lennon!"

"Thinks she can take 'em, eh?" said another girl.

'Let's get her!"

I wheeled around to find a hoard of angry teenage girls waving dozens of Tiger Beat magazines with me and John on the cover, quickly advancing at me. I had no time to brood over seeing me and John on the cover holding each other. I sped off, screaming my head off, trying to outrun the girls. I didn't know who was more dangerous: the shooter that was after me, or these hormonal teenagers with the hots for John. I didn't care at the moment-all that was on my mind now was escaping the girls.

One of them caught up to me and yanked at my hair. I cried out, and I was dragged into the flock of girls that were waiting for me. They started pinching and hitting me. They yanked at my hair, some even bit me! One girl with particularly long nails scratched me, breaking my skin and causing me to bleed. I screamed as loud as I could, and I even kicked the girls around a little, trying to get away. I don't know how fast it happened, but I saw a swirl of red, and someone was dragging me by the arm, away from the girls.

"Hide here," said the girl who helped me. She hid me behind a trash can in an alleyway. "Hey, hey!" she shouted to the girls. "She went that way!" she pointed in the opposite direction of where I was, and they ran off. She girl that helped me came back to me. "You can come out now," she said. I peeked out from behind the can and saw who the girl was.

It was Jane, Paul's redheaded girlfriend.

She must have not noticed who I was at first, either, because when she saw me properly, she looked like a frightened deer in the headlights.

"Oh, it's you," she said frantically. "Please don't be mad at me, I'm really sorry about what happened before!"

"Jane, trust me," I said. "The only one I'm mad at in this is Paul. You did nothing to me. If anything, you should be mad at me."

"Oh," said Jane, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Well, thanks anyway," I said.

"No problem," said Jane, feeling a little more comfortable. "Come on, we better get out of here before those crazy girls come back."

"Yeah," I said. "Wait, why didn't they recognize you?"

"Because I wasn't in their sight too long," said Jane as she led me through a shortcut through the alley to the hotel. "Trust me, if they'd seen me for one more second, I'd be dead."

"Oh," I said. I brushed my arm against the wall accidentally and I hissed in pain because that arm was the one with the scratches.

"You okay?" asked Jane. I showed her my arm. "Ouch, here." She handed me her handkerchief out of her front pocket. "It's clean, don't worry."

I wrapped it around my arm and we continued.

"So, those girls were after you because of that interview with John?" asked Jane.

I nodded, but something distracted me. I looked down at the ground and saw an empty bullet shell. On the shell was a single black thread. The same material that the shooter's ski mask was made out of. I picked it up.

"What's that?" asked Jane. There was a sound of thunder and it began to rain hard.

"I'll tell you later!" I shouted over the rain. Jane grabbed my arm and we ran through the rain to the hotel entrance. By the time we got up to the room, our hair was plastered to our heads and our clothes were dripping wet. I was shivering and shaking.

"This is the room?" Jane asked. I nodded and she knocked on the door. It was Ringo who opened the door.

"Eileen!" he said, pulling me into a hug. "We were worried you were caught out in that storm!"

"I'm okay," I said. "Ringo, where's everyone else?"

"Inside, come in," said Ringo.

Paul was sitting on the couch when he heard us come in. "Jane?" he exclaimed when he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"This will get interesting," said an amused John.

"You both look like something the cat dragged in," said George, who was sitting with Pattie. "No offence."

"Where were you?" asked Gwen.

"Oh, where was I," I said. "I was getting chased down by a crowd of jealous fangirls that were trying to kill me because of that stupid magazine interview that John and I did, and Jane saved my life!"

"You mean you didn't try to kill each other?" said John.

"Lennon!" I said warningly. John shut up.

"What was that thing you found, Eileen?" asked Jane.

"Oh, it's right here," I said. "Take a look at this." I pulled the bullet shell and thread out of my pocket.


	21. Chapter 21

The room grew quiet when they saw what I held out in my hand. "What is it?" asked Jane, who had no idea what I had been going through. Unless Paul told her, I thought grudgingly.

"It's a bullet shell," I said, "and a thread from a black ski mask."

"How's that important?" Jane asked again.

"A crazy person with a gun's been chasing 'er everywhere since we were filming the movie," said George. "And that's obviously where Eileen thinks that stuff came from."

"D'ya think that could be a clue to who it is?" asked Ringo.

I thought about if I should tell them for a moment. They're my friends, I thought. I can trust them. It can't hurt. "I already know who it is," I said.

"Who?" said Gwen, rather loudly. "Why haven't you told us?"

"Because it's a touchy subject," I said. "He's the man who killed my mum five years ago."

The room grew quiet. It was Jane that spoke up first. "A man killed your mum, and now he's out to get you?"

I nodded silently, trying not to cry.

"Wow, Eileen," said Ringo. "Who else knew about that?"

"I did," said John. "It must be painful, but it makes perfect since."

"That's sad," said Paul to no one in particular. Did he really think so?

"You're absolutely sure?" asked Pattie.

"Yep," I said. "I figured it out a week or so ago."

"How'd ye figure that?" asked George.

"I saw him outside the club the last time we were out," I said. "He was sitting in his car, and I recognized it from when he hit my mum. When I looked inside the car, I saw him, and I recognized him too, by his-" I shuddered-"black eyes."

"Is that why you were out so long?" asked Gwen.

"Yeah," I said. I glanced over at John. He looked beaten down and hurt. I can't say I blame him, I did lie to him after all. I felt real bad. I didn't mean to make him feel that way, I just didn't want to burden him with my problems. Something told me that he wouldn't have minded, though. Seeing him like that wrenched at my heart. Oh, stupid love, why did I have to be so deep in it with him?

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you," he said flatly. Then he got up and stormed off to his room.

"You must've had a very tough day then," whispered Jane. I knew exactly what she meant.

"I told you, Jane, that's over with," I said. I rushed over to John's room.

"John?" I said quietly as I pocked my head inside. "John, where are you?"

"I bet you liked that little lie you told me," said John, who was sitting in a dark corner by the bed, his face shadowed. "I can tell you did."

I sighed and came closer to him. "John, listen to me, I can explain-"  
"Oh, explain all you want, love, it won't change your lie," said John. The fact that he called me "love" sent a pang through my heart.

"John," I said, "I lied because I didn't want to burden you with my problems. I didn't want to make you feel that you had to protect me more than you have to do already."

"Eileen, I wouldn't have minded," said John, looking at me, the light from outside lighting half of his face. "You're like a little sister to me. I care about you too much to not want to protect you."

So, I thought. That's what I was to him. A little sister, even after the night after the club a week ago. Just a little sister. It hurt me, bad, to know that he didn't love me like I did. "But John, I didn't know that," I said.

"What?" said John, a little louder than usual. "You didn't know that? Even after I took that bloody bullet for you?" He stood up in front of me. I was expecting an angry, glaring face, but what I saw was a face that was laughing and broke into a smile.

"What's wrong?" I asked feebly.

"You didn't know?" said a still hysterically laughing John. "Woman, you truly are oblivious!" He broke down in giggles.

I was still taken by surprise. "I'm not..." I said quietly and shyly.

"Eileen," said John, resting his hands on my shoulders. "If I didn't care for you, would I be doing all that I am doing right now? I thought that you would trust me enough to tell me that you knew who was after you! And by God, I will punch his lights out if he goes anywhere near you! You're very important to me, Eileen."

I managed a smile. "John, you are a riot, you know that?"

John grinned. "I know!" he said. "Come on, let's join the living out there, I'm sure they're wondering what we're up to."

"I agree," I said. John and I walked out of the room together. When we got out, we saw Brian standing in the middle of the main room, looking impatient and checking his watch.

"About time you came out," he said, striding over to John. He looked us over suspiciously. "What were you two doing in there?"

"Just talking," said John. "I remembered what you said about 'no funny business' Eppy!"

Brian rolled his eyes. "Right," he said. He switched to businesslike again, and gestured for Paul to step away from a shivering Jane, who was still soaking wet from when we got caught out in the rain. I felt suddenly cold with a jolt, and I remembered that I was stuck out in the rain with her. I shuddered and started shivering too.

"You okay, Eileen?" asked John.

"Cold," I said. "Got caught in the rain."

John nodded and directed his attention to Brian again.

"John, Paul," said Brian. "You remember that title song you were supposed to be writing for the picture?"

"You mean 'A Hard Day's Night'?" said Paul. "Yeah, we finished it a few days ago. We've got it down."

"Well good," said Brian. "Because, since we've been delayed so many times for recording it," he glanced over at me, and I knew what he meant, "you boys are going over to the studio today."

"Finally," sighed John. "It was beginning to feel like years."

"When are we leaving?" asked Paul.

"As soon as you four get ready," said Brian.

"Four?" asked John. "What about the girls?"

"I'm sure the girls can fend for themselves here," said Brian.

"But what if that shooter comes for Eileen while we're gone?" asked John defensively. "Isn't that the reason that she's with us in the first place?"

"I agree," said Ringo. "I think she should at least come, for safety reasons."

Brian thought it over in his head, glancing from me to John to Gwen, Pattie, and Jane. He looked John in the eye and said, "Okay, Lennon, you win, but _please _don't let her distract you."

"I won't Eppy, I've got it all under control!" said John proudly. Brian sighed and shook his head. He obviously wasn't fond of any girl who hung around any of the boys.

"Come on, guys," said Brian. "There's a car waiting out back. Quietly now, we don't want to get spotted by a stray girl."

"Oh boy," I said. "That'd be fun."

"She got into a run-in with some jealous fangirls today because they recognized her from the magazine interview pictures," explained George.

"Were you there?" asked Brian.

"No, she told us," said George.

"Do you mean to tell me that you four let her walk out alone, and John was giving me a fuss about leaving her in the hotel room when she could be within the company of three other girls?" spat out Brian, annoyed.

"Oh, come on, Eppy, give it a rest!" said John.

"But she was _alone!"_shouted Brian, pulling at his hair.

"No she wasn't," said Paul suddenly. "Jane was with 'er."

Brian didn't say anything, but I wouldn't have noticed it if he did. I was surprised that Paul stuck up for me that way. I heard a groaning sound that snapped me to attention.

I saw Pattie leaning over a trash can with George holding her hair back. Pattie was very pale and sickly-looking with dark patches under her eyes. She gulped and her head disappeared into the trash can, accompanied by a horrible retching sound.

"It's okay, Pat," said George.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's been sick all morning," said George. "I thought she was getting better, but she just got worse." Pattie gasped and threw up again.

"She's also eating a lot." I saw from the look George was giving me that he was thinking the same thing I was-Pattie could be pregnant.

"Good luck," I mouthed at Pattie as George and I were ushered out the door by Brian.

"D'ya think she is?" asked George quietly as we snuck around the back lot of the hotel.

"I don't know," I said. "She doesn't look any bigger. Maybe it's a false alarm."

"You can never be sure, I think," said George. "Is that possible?"

"For a girl to have a false alarm?" I asked. "Yeah, it can happen. Sometimes it means that they don't have the right nutrients in them to have a baby, or their ovulation is not right on key. Other times it means that the woman can't have babies at all."

"I hope Pat can," said George. "I love her a lot, and I am really thinking about marrying her. I just wasn't planning on it so soon. If she is pregnant, that means I'll have to propose as soon as possible."

"Well, we don't know anything yet," I said. "She needs to go to a doctor and see if she really is or not." George nodded and signaled the end of the conversation. I strode up to John.

"Thanks for making Brian let me come," I said to him.

"Hey, no problem, love," said John. "Is this yer first time in a recording studio?"

"Yes," I said. "What kinds of stuff do you do there?"

John laughed. "Well, we record, of course!" he said, leaving me feeling pretty stupid.

"No, I mean how do you record," I said, flustered.

"Well, we start and stop a lot," said John. "We do lots of takes...and we dodge Ringo's drumsticks when he gets angry."

"Heard that!" said Ringo from up ahead.

"Shaddup!" shouted John. We managed to sneak around the hotel without anyone seeing us, and we were at the car in no time at all. We had to squeeze in together since there was six of us in one little car. Brian was driving with Paul in the front next to him. I think it was Ringo that said for him to go up front because Paul and I weren't talking. I was squished in the middle between John and Ringo, and George was between Ringo and the car door.

"Are we all set?" said Brian.

"Yes, _sir!_" said John, saluting him like he usually did. It got a laugh from us in the back. Paul tried not to laugh because Brian was right next to him, but I saw him smirk.

"Cheeky," I heard Brian mutter before he started the car up. As we started, I found I was in an uncomfortable spot, and moved around a little. I hit my scratched arm on the back of the seat and cried out as the pain got to me. I sent a silent curse to whoever that long-nailed girl was.

"You okay, Eileen?" asked Ringo.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, rubbing my arm.

John saw my arm, and his eyes got wide with worry. "No, you're not fine!" he said. He snatched up my arm and saw the bloody handkerchief. "Eileen, did one of those girls do that to you?"

I nodded.

"Geez, they must really like you, John," said George.

"George, it's not funny!" said John. "Eileen, I'm so sorry that I let you go off by yerself, that was totally irresponsible on my part."

"It's not your fault, John," I said, wincing in pain as I felt the wound throb sharply.

"But it was stupid," said John. "For all I know, one of those girls could've been the shooter."

"But I'm still alive," I said.

"Yeah, John, relax a little," said Ringo. "Nothing terrible happened, and now you know what not to do next time."

Just from looking up front, I could tell that Paul wanted badly to say something, but he kept his mouth shut because we still weren't talking. I was actually hoping he'd forget and let a word or two slip out to me. I wanted him to talk to me. I didn't even know why I told him we should not talk, anyway. Not speaking to Paul for a week was too much to handle. I shrugged it off, though. No need to dwell on it. I could try and talk to him soon.

"Hold on," said John, not hearing Ringo at all. "There are some bandages in the first-aid kit..." He got the first-aid kit from the floor of the car and dug around till he found a clean bandage. "Here," he said, taking my arm. His touch sent butterflies all through me. "I'll put this on you."

I didn't protest as he took Jane's handkerchief off and revealed my scratches. He winced a little at them, and I did too. I didn't have a lot of time to look at my arm before, but I saw now three long lacerations on the bottom of my forearm. They were bleeding slowly now, but the area around them was bruised.

"God, Eileen," muttered John as he wrapped the new bandage around my arm.

"They'll heal," I said. "My bullet wound healed quick." John didn't seem to hear me. A few minutes later, Brian stopped the car at the studio. We all clambered out, but I took special care so I couldn't bump my arm again. I didn't want John to have a fit.

"So, Eileen," said John. "Ready to meet the other George?"

"Other George?" I asked, confused.

"George Martin," said George. "Our producer."

"He's the one that helps record our songs and puts 'em out," said Ringo. He sounded a little bitter.

"He thinks George Martin didn't like him very much at first," explained John.

"Why?" I asked. How could anyone not like Ringo?

"Not on a personal level," said George. "You see, when he first joined the band, or, should I say, when we first let him in the band for recording, Mr. Martin wasn't so sure about his drumming skills, so he hired another drummer to do the session with us instead of Ringo."

"That guy only did two songs with us, though," said John. "Since then, it's been Ringo! And he thinks you're just fine, son!" added on John to Ringo. Ringo replied with a melancholy smile.

"I honestly thought it'd be me that Mr. Martin wouldn't like," said George. "I'm the one that said I didn't like his tie." John, Paul, and Ringo laughed. I chuckled a little, but I still thought it'd have been funnier if I were there.  
We walked inside the studio and into a soundroom. It was a large, empty room, except for a soundboard and some instruments in it. "Hello!" said Paul.

"Hey, boys!" a voice greeted. Out walked a man that looked around Brian's age, but was taller and thinner than him. He had dark hair and glasses. "You finally here for the session?"

"Yes, we are," said John. "'bout time, too."

"Hey, Mr. Martin, yer tie's lookin' nice," said George, leaning back on an amplifier.

"Funny, Mr. Harrison," said the man, who must've been George Martin.

"They can't call each other by their first names," said John. "They find it awkward." I giggled.

"Hey, Georgie M.!" called John. "We've got someone for you to meet."

George Martin looked towards me. "Ah, yes, Miss Carter, I've read the interview," he said. He walked over to me.

"It's nice meet you, sir," I said.

"Pleasure's all mine," said George Martin. He got businesslike again. "Okay, boys we've got a lot to do for all of this! Let's get to!" They all rushed for their instruments and got ready.

"Alright," said John. "We're set!" With that, the session started. The song they played went a little like this:

_"It's been a hard day's night__  
__and I've been working like a dog.__  
__It's been a hard day's night__  
__I should be sleeping like a log.__  
__But when I get home to you, I find the things that you do__  
__will make me feel alright.__  
__You know I work all day__  
__to get you money to buy you things.__  
__And it's worth it just to hear you say__  
__you're gonna get me everything.__  
__So why on earth should I moan? Cause when I get you alone,__  
__you know I feel alright.__  
__When I'm home, everything seems to be right,__  
__When I'm home, I feel you holding me tight!__  
__Tight! Yeah!"__  
_

Those were the basic lyrics, all that I could remember at the moment. It was a clever, upbeat little piece. It was actually done quicker than I thought it would be. Before long, we were walking out of the studio with a record.

"So," said John. "What'd you think?"

I said nothing because something caught my eye. Something worse than the shooter and a hoard of violent fangirls put together. My brother Charlie holding hands with Jerri Dunn.


	22. Chapter 22

I stood, glued to the spot, unable to move. I gulped like a goldfish out of its bowl. How could my own brother be dating that-that-Geez, I couldn't even think of a word for her! I was just about to go on a rant when I saw the happy couple walking towards me. Charlie had a winning gleam in his eye with Jerri holding his hand, like she was a first-place trophy or something. It made me want to gag.  
"Eileen!" he said to me. "It's been a while!"

"Yeah," I said, despite Jerri. "I'm very glad to see you!" Charlie let go of Jerri long enough to give me a hug, and then grabbed onto her again.

"Hello, Eileen!" said Jerri. That made me want to gag even more. "It's so nice to see you again; it's been so long!"

"Yeah, not long enough," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" asked Jerri.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly. "It's nice to see you, too."

"Oh, all right," said Jerri. She turned to Charlie. "Love, I've gotta walk away for a moment, I'll be right back!"

"Okay, darling," said Charlie. He kissed her, and I felt bile rise up in my throat. Goddamnit, this can't get any worse...

As soon as Jerri was out of earshot, I started to burst, but Charlie said, "Wow, she's amazing, isn't she?"

"Charlie!" I yelled. "What in the world made you want to date that woman! She's a right bitch!"

Charlie gave me a "you've-got-to-be-kidding" face and said, "Jerri? She's just about the nicest, sweetest girl I know! And she talks about you all the time, about how nice you are and how sorry she feels for you with that damn killer on the loose!"

"You've heard about that?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Charlie. "Jerri bought the magazine and we read the interview. Very interesting stuff in there."

"Hey, Eileen, is there a problem?" asked John, coming over to me. "I heard yelling."

"Oh, no, everything's fine," I said. "John, this is my brother, Charlie. Charlie, this is John."

Charlie flashed an admirable smile. "John Lennon?" he said, shaking John's hand.

"The one!" said John.

"May I ask what my sister is doing with you?" asked Charlie, looking at John suspiciously.

"Protecting 'er from the shooter!" said John proudly.

"Is that all?" asked Charlie.

John looked offended. "Christ, man, d'ya think that I'm a rapist or something? Of course that's all!" he said.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to know," said Charlie, taken aback. "I'm her brother, I should know these things!"

"I'm back, love!" said Jerri, walking back over to Charlie. When she got to him, she pecked him on the lips. God...

"Oh, Eileen," said Jerri. "I've got something to show you! I'm sure you'll like it!" She reached into her purse. She began to pull something up, but she froze midway with a shocked look on her face. She fished around a little more, and pulled out the right thing. It was the magazine with the interview that John and I did.

"Oh..." I said. "That's nice."

My sarcasm went over Jerri's head completely. She smiled wide and said, "I know, gear, isn't it? You can take it, I'm done. Have you read it yet?"

"No," I said. "John?"

"Neither have I," said John.

"Then take it!" said Jerri, shoving it at me. "Oh, by the way, those pictures are absolutely _fab!_"

"I'm sure they are," I said. I remembered with a pang all the different pictures John and I took that day. The day I figured out that I was in love with him. I saw the cover picture of us two sitting on a park bench holding each other and smiling at the camera. I laughed when I remembered how John was trying to sit on my lap while we were taking it.

"Yeah, I remember that," said John, looking at the picture too.

"Oh, hi John!" said Jerri, smiling flirtatiously. Little tramp, trying to flirt with John with Charlie right there.

"Hey Marry," said John, not looking up from the magazine.

"It's Jerri," said Jerri, taking two fingers and bending the magazine from in front of John's face. She giggled.

"Oh, that's right," said John, taken aback.

"I hope that you're having a good time," said Jerri.

"Good time at what?" asked John.

"Well, with Eileen!" said Jerri. She leaned in closer to him. "But if you want to spend some time with me, Charlie'll be gone all next week." John said nothing, but he stared at her blankly. I was furious! How dare she go after John like that, and how dare she offer to cheat on Charlie with him!

"Jerri, honey, let's go, dinner's waiting," said Charlie.

"Coming, dear!" said Jerri. Her voice got quiet again. "Think about it John." She turned to me. "See you later, Eileen! Hope you love the magazine!" And she and Charlie were off.

"I hate that little bitch," I growled to John.

"What was on her mind about me, I wonder?" said John.

"I don't want to know," I said.

"What was that holdup?" asked George, walking out with Paul, Ringo, and Brian.

"Jerri Dunn the hussy was here with her new boyfriend my brother and flirting with John," I said.

Ringo flinched. "Ouch. She's really dating yer brother?" he asked.

"Sadly," I said.

"It's okay, Eileen!" said John, gripping my shoulder, making my emotions soar. "Hopefully they'll break up and you'll have yer brother back again!"

I laughed. "I hope so!"

Brian sighed, impatient. "Okay, boys, let's get back to the hotel!"

"Oh, yeah, Pattie's sick!" said George. He rushed to the car.

"Hold up, Romeo," said Paul. We all clambered back into the car and drove back to the hotel. We walked back into the room to find Pattie, lying pale-faced on the couch with a bucket and a blanket, with Gwen standing over her holding a thermometer and Jane with her hand on Pattie's forehead. Pat looked worse than before.

"Good God," I said, striding over to the girls. "Has she gotten that much worse?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, we've been trying to feed her all this time, and she couldn't keep anything down."

"We just don't know what to do anymore," said Gwen.

"Have you thought about bringin' her to a doctor?" asked George, coming over and kissing Pattie on the cheek.

Both Gwen and Jane looked extremely guilty. "Um..." started Jane uncomfortably.

"It must've slipped our minds," said Gwen, playing with a lock of long hair.

"Gwen, you are a moron," I said." A bloody daft moron."

"Well, I'm sorry!" said Gwen, flailing her arms about. "I was so preoccupied on taking care of Pattie myself, that I forgot all about doctors!"

"Well, you should bring her to one, shouldn't you?" said George, sounding irked as well.

"Guys," said Pattie, weakly. "I don't think I'm up to going anywhere today. Eileen, can you bring me to a doctor tomorrow?"

"Sure thing," I said. "And I won't forget." Yeah, I was a little pissed off at Gwen right now.

"I think we should get some sleep," said Paul. "We were at the studio for a long time, and it's getting late."

"Good," said Ringo, going straight to his room. As I went to mine, Paul was looking at me, dying to say something. I looked at him too, wanting to take my pact back, but Jane had come over to him and he was looking at her now instead. I sighed. Maybe it was all for the best for now.

Light shone through my eyelids in the morning like a golden prism. I stretched any yawned as I sat up, taking my time to wake up. Yesterday was a pretty hectic, and I wanted to take it easy. However, I was soon reminded by the awful sound of Pattie gagging that this morning was not going to be as easy as I thought. I got out of bed, got dressed, brushed my hair, and went into the main room to brave the day.

"Hey," I said to Pattie and George, who were sitting on the couch next to each other. George had his arm around Pattie and Pattie was even more pale than yesterday.

"Hey," said George. "She's gotten worse."

"I've feared so," I said, sitting on the other side of Pattie. I turned to her. "Are you ready to go, love?"

"I guess," she said quietly. She looked over at George for permission to go, and got up with his help.

"I'll pay for the taxi," said George. He handed me a few pounds before I could say anything.

"Thanks," I said, and I walked outside with Pattie. I hailed a taxi, and I was glad to see Gregory behind the wheel.

"Hi, Gregory," I greeted as Pattie and I sat down in the backseat.

"'Ello, there, Miss Carter!" said Gregory. He took a look at Pattie in the rearview mirror. "Lemme guess, hospital?"

"Oh, you're good!" I said.

"So, who may I have the pleasure of meeting today?" asked Gregory as he drove off.

"M'name's Pattie, sir," said Pattie. "Pattie Boyd."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Boyd!" said Gregory. "You feeling alright?"

"If you drive smoother I may be," said Pattie with a little humor in her voice. At least she had her sense of humor!

We drove for a few more minutes, not really speaking to each other. When we got to the hospital, we got out.

"Thanks again, Gregory!" I called as Pattie and I walked towards the hospital.

"No problem Miss Carter, Miss Boyd!" said Gregory. "I'll be here when ye get back!"

"You know him, I take it?" asked Pattie.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess you can call him my personal taxi driver."

"That's nice," said Pattie. It didn't take very long to get her into the doctor's office, and when we did, I just stayed in the waiting room, waiting for her. All around me, I saw the magazine with John and I on the cover. I didn't have the chance to look at the copy Jerri gave me yet, and the other copies were tempting. I took one off the shelf and opened it to the interview.

I read through it, but not as much as I looked at the pictures. I could see right away why that pack of girls attacked me. All of the pictures were so sensual, if not slightly sexual. I saw the first picture that we took together, the one where John was holding me bridal-style and my arm was around his hips. There was the other one where he was holding me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, very close to my neck. I remembered how it sent chills down my spine when he did that. I never wanted it to end. I flipped through more and I got to the fun pictures. Those were the ones that were less serious and we were just having fun and goofing off. I saw one, my favorite fun picture, where John was giving me a tickle attack. He was behind me, tickling my ribs, smiling, and I was hunched over in hysterics, laughing loudly and hugely, my hair fanned out in front of me from when it had flipped over when the photographer had taken the shot. I looked back at John. Oh, how I loved that man...

"I'm back, Eileen," said Pattie's voice. My eyes snapped up from the magazine and I saw Pattie standing in front of me, looking slightly better.

"Okay, Pat," I said, putting the magazine down and standing up. "That wasn't very long, was it?"

Pattie shrugged. "It must've been about an hour."

"An hour?" I asked. I checked my watch. It was! "Oh. Well, what was wrong?"

"Well, they don't know if I'm pregnant yet for sure," said Pattie. "So they took a test and they said for me to come back in about a week."

"Oh, okay," I said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, lots," said Pattie. "They gave me some medicine, and I'm good as new!"

"I hope it lasts," I said. "Come on, let's not keep Gregory waiting."

"Right," said Pattie. We went back outside and saw Gregory waiting in the taxi, just like he said he would.

"'Ello, girls!" he said when we got in.

"Hi!" Pattie and I said in unison.

"Feelin' better, Miss Boyd?" asked Gregory.

"Much," said Pattie.

"Well, that's good to know," said Gregory. "Back to the 'otel, girls?"

"Yes, please!" I said. "I want this to be an easy day." Gregory drove us back to the hotel. When we got there, I thanked him, and Pattie, despite Gregory's refusal, gave him a tip.

"Oh, Miss Boyd, you really are a nice young woman," he said, going a little red. We walked into the hotel, and Gwen was waiting for us at the door of our room.

"Everything okay, Pat?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm feeling better," said Pattie.

"Oh, Eileen," said Gwen. "Didja read your interview yet? I took up the one you left here, and it's great!"

"Oh, I read it," I said, walking inside. "It is good." The magazine was open to the page with the tickling picture. I sighed deeply. I would not let that picture ruin my supposed-to-be-perfect day. I focused in the happy times of the photoshoot. When I fell in love with John.


	23. Chapter 23

It was a week later, and Pattie and I were getting ready to leave to return to the hospital for her pregnancy test results. She was so jittery she could barely put on her eyeliner without poking her eye out.

"I have to admit I _am _nervous," she said as she tried to put on the eyeliner, "because I don't think I'm ready for a baby-Oww!" She poked her eye, "-or a married life with Georg yet, but maybe it will be fun. I mean, just imagine! I'd be married to a Beatle-Ow-we'd live together-Oww!-and we'd be with each other all the time-OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Pattie's red, teary eyes were now surrounded with gobs of black, smudgy eyeliner everywhere.

"Maybe I should put that down for now," said Pattie, putting down her eyeliner pencil and going into the bathroom to fix her eyes.

It took a few minutes, but she was finally out and ready. I had my doubts about pregnancy, because Pattie hadn't grown so much as an inch around, but maybe some women were like that. I hadn't prepared myself for any of her reactions at the test results, but something told me I should prepare for extreme ones.

"Come on Pat," I said. "Let's get a move on." We got a ride to the hospital by Gregory, once again, free. He dropped us off at the door, and Pattie and I walked inside. Pattie froze as soon as we entered the waiting room.

"Eileen," she said, holding her still flat belly, "I'm nervous."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," I said. "You'll be fine."

Pattie looked at me with a heartbreaking expression. Something told me that she really wanted to be a mother. She'd be a good one, what with having to deal with childish Gwen all her life. I'd hate to see Pattie disappointed. "Thanks," she said, smiling.

"Pattie Boyd?" called the lady at the desk.

"Go on," I said to Pattie as she staggered forward.

She stopped halfway to the room and looked back.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked.

Pattie thought for a moment, but she shook her head and said, "No." She gave me a cute little gap-toothed smile, and went on her way. I sat down in a chair in the waiting room, waiting for the result, and Pattie's reaction.

About fifteen minutes later, I saw Pattie's blonde head storm out of the room. I couldn't see her face clearly, but she did not look happy. She bolted right past me, but I grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. "Pattie, what's wrong?" I asked. Pattie said nothing, and I figured it would be best not to say anything more until we got back to the hotel.

Gregory got us both back, and when both of us were safely behind the door, I checked if the boys were in another part of the room. I took a breath, looked a beaten-down Pattie in the eye, and asked again, "What's wrong, Pat?"

Pattie remained silent for a moment, but then she said in a small, shaky voice, "I'm not pregnant."

I was slightly confused. "Wait," I said. "I thought you said that you weren't sure if you wanted the baby."

"I didn't say I didn't want a baby ever," said Pattie, about to start crying. "I said that I didn't want one right now."

"But you and George can try again later, can't you?" I asked.

That's when Pattie broke down. She flung herself at me, crying hysterically. "Oh, Eileen, I'd love to," she said into my shoulder, "But the doctor said that there was a complication that made it so I could _never_have a baby, ever!" She started crying harder. She sounded utterly miserable, like she had lost a family member, and in a way she did. She lost a child she never had. A child she would never have. I remembered when we were little, and she, Gwen, and I were on playdates, she always used to play mommy with baby dolls. I had always thought she'd make a great mother. I felt so sorry for her. But just how to break it to George?

"I'm so sorry, Pattie," I said, holding her tight. Pattie had calmed down a bit, and her crying had reduced to a small sniffle. I heard footsteps enter the room. It was George.

"Hey, girls, ye home?" he said. "I just brought home some Jelly Babies, if you want some, the others are out, and-" he stopped when he saw me and Pattie in the middle of the room. He dropped the bag of Jelly Babies on the couch and went over to us.

"Pattie, what's wrong, love?" he asked, nuzzling her cheek.

"Oh, George, it's horrible!" she said, throwing herself into his arms. "Horrible, horrible!"

"Eileen what's the matter with her?" asked George when he figured out that he probably wasn't going to get much out of his girlfriend.

"The doctor told her that she wasn't fertile," I said.

"Huh?" asked George, not understanding.

"She can't get pregnant, ever," I said.

"Oh my God," said George. He looked at Pattie. "Pat, really?"

Pattie nodded, her lower lip trembling, and started to cry again.

"Must be a big thing for a woman to find out, eh?" said George.

"Huge," I said. "I think I'll leave you two alone for now."

"Okay," said George. I walked off into an empty bedroom as George held Pattie. I strode over to the window, which was open, letting in the bright sunlight, and just stood there, trying to calm down at the sudden turn of events today. I saw Gwen and Ringo outside, goofing off, walking on the sidewalk, probably to a club. It hit me with a pang that I was the only one out of my friends that did not find some kind of happily-ever-after here. I thought I did at first with Paul, but that was only short-lived. I also thought that John could have been the one, but he obviously wasn't. I suddenly heard someone move behind me, and I figured out that the room was not empty like I thought.

I wheeled around and popped whoever it was right in the nose. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was the shooter, and I was ready to attack if he so much as look at me with those dark, evil eyes.

"Ow!" he yelled when I punched him. I frowned, perplexed. He didn't sound like the shooter...

The man stepped into the light and I saw that it was Paul. Oh, of all the people to turn up right now, and it's him! Were we still not talking? It had been two weeks since the day we stopped. Maybe we could start again...but what to say?

Paul rubbed his bleeding nose, looking at me. We locked eyes for a considerable amount of time. His big, dopey brown eyes gazing into my blue ones. I could see right away why I fell for his charm. He was probably, apart from John, the most good-looking man around. Even though I was completely over him, I still felt butterflies. Although he was a jerk to me, I had to say Jane was a lucky girl. Oh, how I wanted to say something to him!

It was beginning to get a little awkward. I needed to break the silence, but how? I was still slightly mad at him...did he know? Would he answer if I said something to him? It was worth a shot. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to my mind, however stupid and daft it was to say:

"How's Jane?"

Paul raised his eyebrows. "Fine," he said. "I thought we weren't speaking, Eileen."

My emotions crashed. Did he even want to speak to me? "Well..." I said. "We weren't, but I said we weren't until we had the whole-er-situation fixed. I mean, it's been two weeks, surely that would be enough time?"

Paul just looked at me again. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Were not gonna get into another whole thing?"

"I'm sure, Paul," I said. "I've missed you a lot."

Paul actually cracked a small smile. "I've missed you too, Eileen." he said.

"So..." I said, hesitating. "Are we okay now?"

"I think so, yeah," said Paul. He held out his hand. "Friends?"

I smiled. "Friends," I said, and shook his hand. Paul smiled wider. I was glad we were on terms again, it had been so boring without Paul's wit. John had wit, but sometimes you just needed Paul in there with him.

Paul let go of my hand. "So, d'ya forgive me for what I did to you?"

"Yes, I forgive you," I said. "I guess I just wasn't exciting enough for you to decide who to choose."  
Paul snorted. "Well, John defiantly doesn't think that!" he said.  
I cocked my head to the side. "John?" I asked. "He doesn't want to be with me that way, he told me himself."

Paul shook his head, frowning. "Of course John wants to be with you," he said. "Why else do you think we were so tense with each other when we were together?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I thought that John felt that way, but the day after the club and everything, he told me that I was just like a little sister to him."

Paul sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head and chuckling. "He said that, didn't he? I thought he would."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"I mean that John is holding off on a relationship with you on purpose!" said Paul.

"Why would he be doing that?" I asked. It just didn't make any since to me.

"You remember what happened to you that day your magazine interview came out, right?" asked Paul. I nodded. Paul continued talking.

"Well, they did that because you are a girl involved with The Beatles. Those fangirls want to be the only ones involved with us. As if they'd want to be in your shoes if they were involved with us like that."

"So, can you explain yourself further?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Paul. "Because of all that, John thought about it, and decided not to have an open relationship with you so you weren't chased like that all the time. Girls go after Jane and beat her up all the time. I'm surprised no one's going after Pattie...not that I would want that."

"So, that's it?" I asked. "That's why John doesn't want to be with me?"

"Yeah," said Paul.

"How'd you know?" I asked.

Paul took a breath. "Well, normally I would say that it was all instinct...but not now. He told me."

"He told you?" I said, barely believing it.

"Yep," said Paul. "The man's bloody mad about you, Eileen, and he'd be daft to not be. He just doesn't want to see you hurt for a reason like that. You should have seen him after he found out you were attacked by the girls. I thought the shooter got to you!"

"So John does care about me?" I asked.

"He loves you, Eileen," said Paul. "More than you'll ever know. More than I thought I did for you."

"That night was real then," I said, not meaning to say it out loud.

"Oh, and don't think I don't know what went on that night when John brought you back," said Paul. "He told me about that too."

"Oh..." I said, blushing scarlet. "He did, didn't he..." Bloody hell, of all the people to discuss losing my virginity to John with, it had to be his best friend and my ex-boyfriend.

Paul clapped me on the back. "Hey, no one else knows! I guess it's just between us three!"

I blushed deeper. "Oh, shut up Paul, you're making it sound like you were there!"

"Oh, sorry," said Paul.

I frowned. "What, no smart remark?" I asked.

"Nah, not today," said Paul. "Besides, I don't think you'd like the remark I'd make in this situation anyway."

I laughed. I was glad Paul and I were friends again. I hoped that we could truly put the whole breakup behind us and go on. As Paul and I were catching up, I searched my mind trying to think of a list of remarks Paul could have made. None of them were very innocent.


	24. Chapter 24

I was just walking out of the room, enjoying my patched-up friendship with Paul, when something hit me. Paul had told me plain and clear that John loved me! I felt fireworks explode inside of me, and following that was a feeling of pure happiness and joy that I could not explain. If it weren't for those damn fangirls, John and I would be together! When it was clear I couldn't hold it in any longer, I rushed out of Paul's room and into the main room.

I dashed to George and Pattie, who was calmed down a bit and eating Jelly Babies on the couch (even though Pattie really wasn't supposed to be eating those because she was a model and junk food would ruin her figure), and I screamed, "He loves me!"

"Who-" said George, but I attacked the two of them, giving Pattie a huge squeeze and kissing George on the cheek. I pranced off whooping and giggling like a little girl.

"John loves me!" I shouted again. "Yeah!" I ran out into the middle of the room jumping and whooping loudly, singing, "John loves me, yeah, yeah, yeah!" at the top of my lungs to the tune of "She Loves You." I had gone completely nuts.

"Paul, what'd ye do to her?" asked George to Paul, who had just walked out of the room.

"Don't worry about it," said Paul, amused. "Just watch the fun." I had managed to calm down a bit, and I saw George and Paul with grins and arms crossed, and Pattie in giggles.

"Somebody has a huge crush," said George.

"Oh, shaddup," I said, throwing a pillow at him. Then we all started laughing.

"Hey, Paul, there you are," said Jane, who just walked through the door. "I've been looking everywhere for-" she stopped when she saw all of us laughing.

"Oh, hi Jane," said Paul, gasping for breath. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," said Jane, looking around suspiciously. "Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, we'll fill ya in later," I said, clutching my side, which was aching.

"Right," said Jane, still somewhat taken aback. She sat down on the couch between Paul and me.

"Geez, I need a cig," said Paul, still giggling. "Hey, George, grab a smoke?"

"Yeah, sure," said George. "Pat?"

"I'm really not supposed to smoke," she said. "Neither is Eileen. We're models, it'll ruin our teeth."

"Oh," said George.

"But I'll come out with you," said Pattie. She got up with Paul and George and went over to the porch.

"Aren't you gonna go?" I asked Jane, who was still sitting next to me.

"Oh, no," said Jane, swatting her hand. "I think I'll give Paul a break. He needs it."

"Okay," I said.

"Hey, Eileen, what do you say to an evening out," said Jane. "Leave the boys here. I mean, Pattie's hanging with George, and Gwen's out with Ringo. I'm gonna leave Paul alone, and you have nothing to do-" she smiled coyly "-unless John comes back."

"Oh, knock it off, Jane," I said.

"So, you wanna?" asked Jane.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" It would be good to get out, have a somewhat normal day-that is until Jane and I would end up getting chased by the press or fangirls, but it would be worth chancing.

"Great, I'll get my coat!" said Jane, leaving the couch in a blur. Jane was a very enthusiastic person.

As soon as Jane came back with her white knit coat on, we headed out the door. "So, where are we going?" I asked her.

Jane shrugged. "Dunno, wherever," she said. We ended up walking around the crowded Liverpool streets, shopping around, trying our best not to get recognized.

"I'm actually very surprised that no one's trying to kill us," said Jane as I came out of a fitting room wearing a pair of black pants. "Those look great, just get a smaller size."

"Easy for you to say," I said, searching the rack for a size four.

"What do you mean?" asked Jane. "I'm not as skinny as you."

"No," I said. "I mean about the guy that_is_trying to kill me. Your size is fine."

"Oh," said Jane. "When was the last time he ever came after you, anyway?"

"It's been a while," I said. "But that's never a good sign. That means he's scheming."

"What makes you think that?" asked Jane, wrapping a green scarf around her neck. She looked in a mirror and flashed a smile.

"It's always like that," I said. "And plus, you learn a lot from Gwen."

"Ah," said Jane. "Eileen, I found the right size for you." She held up a pair of pants in size four.

"Thanks," I said, taking them. I went into the fitting room and took off the big pair to try these on.

"So, Eileen," said Jane as I was changing. "Are you and Paul back on again? I mean as friends?"

"Oh, yeah," I said. "We fixed things up this morning."

"Well, that's great to know," said Jane. "I'm very sorry I messed things up for you two like that, it must've been hard."

"It wasn't your fault," I said, zipping the pants up and unlocking the door. I came out. "It was just bad judgment for me. No offence or anything."

"No problem," said Jane. "Eileen, you look great! This has to be the first time I've seen you in anything but a dress!"

"Thanks," I said.

"Well, it's no surprise that you look good in it," said Jane. "I mean, you're a model!"

"I guess so," I said, going back in the fitting room to put my black and white dress back on. "I'll buy these."

"Oh, defiantly," said Jane.

"Hey, Jane?" I asked, pulling myself out of the pants.

"Yeah?" said Jane.

"Can I ask you something? I know it may be personal, but I'd like to know," I said.

"Yeah," said Jane again. "Go ahead."

"Has Paul cheated on you before me?" I asked. I braced myself for a harsh reply.

Jane actually laughed. "Oh, it's been quite common, actually!" she said.

"Common?" I asked in disbelief as I slid into my dress.

"Yes, all the time!" she said. "But they're mostly one-night stands."

"How do you keep your relationship on, then?" I asked, nearly falling over as I tried to pull my dress up all the way.

Jane laughed again. "Oh, I yell at him, and then he pleads on the ground like a frightened little puppy, and then I act all sad, and that makes him sorry for me! It works every time!"

"Oh, you're evil!" I joked. I came out of the fitting room to find Jane in a huge pair on sunglasses, the green scarf, a purple hat, and a gigantic faux-diamond necklace.

"I know, aren't I?" she said. I couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Is that what you did to him when I walked up on you two?" I asked, amused.

"Yeah," said Jane. "I told him that he had no right going for that little blonde hussy and that I'd drop him in the English Channel if he so much as looked at her, and then I went sad by telling him how maybe I'm not good enough for him anyway, how maybe I'd just run off and forget all about him, leaving him to his blonde girl." She finished with a dramatic flourish.

"Blonde hussy?" I asked, twirling a lock of my hair.

"Well, that was before I got to know you," said Jane, shrugging.

"How are you able to exaggerate that much?" I asked.

Jane swatted her hand. "Well, that's easy!" she said. "I'm an actress!"

"An actress?" I asked. "That would explain things."

"Yeah," said Jane.

"But wait," I said. "Does Paul know you're an actress?"

"Yeah," said Jane.

"Then wouldn't he know that you're just pretending for the most part; playing it up more than you mean to?"

Jane laughed. "Paul, know I'm acting? Ha! That man would sooner recognize a needle in a haystack! He can't tell at all!"

"Wow," I said.

"Yeah, wow," said Jane. She looked at her watch. "It's getting late. Ya want to get headed out?"

"Yeah," I said. "Let me just pay for the pants."

"Kay," said Jane, getting up with all of her accessories.

"Um...Jane?" I asked.

She turned around. "What?"

"Are you gonna buy all of that stuff?" I asked.

Jane smiled. "Why, of course!" I decided to leave it at that. Boy, was Gwen going to have a ball with this girl. We walked out of the store with our bags, and began to head home. It was late and dark. There were barely any streetlights out, so Jane and I had to be very careful.

"God, I need to rest for a second," sighed Jane, throwing down her bags in a dark alley. All of the things she bought were in them, and there was a lot.

"Jane, are you sure it's safe to stop here?" I asked, anxious.

"Oh, Eileen, don't worry so much," said Jane. "It'll be fine!"

"Okay," I said, sitting down next to her. There was nobody out at this time of night. All I could hear was the chirping of crickets and a soft wind rustling the trees. Suddenly, I heard something move. I jumped slightly and gasped.

"What's wrong?" asked Jane.

"I thought I heard something," I said. "I guess it's gone." But then I heard it again, louder this time. It sounded like someone was trying to sneak up on us. It hit me than. I knew exactly what it was. I heard the shooter get closer and closer. I felt his cold breath on the back of my neck...

"Jane, run!" I shouted. I grabbed her right before the shooter's gun went off. Jane and I darted off, leaving our bags in the ally.

"What the hell was that!" shrieked Jane.

"The shooter, now run!" I screamed. We rushed down the cobbles of the empty streets of Liverpool, the shooter hot on our tails. He shot at us more, but he missed. One of the shots was so close to me, I could feel it whistle past me ear. I screamed and grabbed tighter onto Jane's arm. We ran faster, and the road got bumpier. I could tell that the shooter was getting closer to us; I could feel him staring at us with his black eyes. I ran as fast as I could, not paying any attention to anything else around me, except for Jane and the shooter. Then it happened-I tripped.

There was a crack in the road that I didn't see, and it sent me flying face-first onto the sidewalk. "Eileen!" shouted Jane. She rushed back to me.

"Jane, run!" shouted, trying to get back up. It was no use. My ankle was badly sprained, maybe even broken. I couldn't get up.

"But Eileen!" she shouted. The shooter was getting closer. I tried to crawl across the street.

"Don't worry about me, just get yourself out of here!" I yelled. Jane tried to argue, but I shouted, "Go!" and she ran off safely. I crawled further, bracing myself for the fatal gunshot. This was the end, I could tell.

He was standing over me now, his gun aiming down at me. I rolled over, and his gun was directly over my heart. There was nothing I could do now. I was immobile, and there was no one there that could save me. Oh, John, if you love me, where are you? The shooter loaded the gun. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain.

It did not come.

Instead, in the shadows of the night, I saw the shooter get knocked aside by a man. I couldn't tell who he was, but whoever he was, he didn't seem happy at all. The two were engaged in a fight, man-to-man, fist-to-fist. It was hard to see who was winning, because it had started to rain. I saw the man punch the shooter in the face, and blood flew everywhere, mixing with the rain. The shooter gave a high-pitched shout and he punched the man in the stomach. The man doubled over, gasping for breath. He collapsed on the floor. The shooter kicked him in the side, and went over to me.

"Now it's your turn," he said. He aimed the gun at my heart and loaded it. I closed my eyes again. Well, man, I thought. Whoever you were, you did your best...right when the shooter was ready to pull the trigger and plant the bullet in my chest, the man who was trying to save me somehow sprung up from the ground and rushed over, shouting. He kicked the shooter in the face, knocking him out. I saw the man's face in a blur over me, but before I could make out who he was, the gun that flew out of the shooter's hand came at me, hitting me in the head. The world went blurry and then black as I slipped into unconsciousness.


	25. Chapter 25

A second later, I started to come to. At least it felt like a second; it must have been a few hours because the sun was shining through a window and into the room. Wait...I was in a room? Wasn't I dead? I sure felt like it.

As my ears started to work, I heard someone tinkering on a piano. Funny...I don't remember there being pianos in hospitals, if this was even a hospital. Maybe I was dead, and this was heaven, and an angel was playing on a piano. I was lost.

I opened my eyes and saw more clearly. I saw that I was neither dead or in a hospital, but back in my old flat! I sat up in my bed and saw someone sitting at my piano playing a song. It was John. He heard me move, so he stopped playing and turned around. "Good morning, Eileen!" he said brightly.

"John," I said, looking around. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't leave you out there on the street in the rain with that killer on the loose, all alone, could I?" said John.

I searched the corners of my brain to figure out what he was talking about. Then it hit me. "John..." I said. "Do you mean that...that you were the man that saved my life?"

"Yeah," said John simply. Well, it was nothing new to him; this was his third time!

"How did you know?" I asked. John was about to say something when hurried footsteps rushed into the room. I saw Gwen, Ringo, Pattie, George, Paul, and Jane clamber to my bed.

"Eileen!" screamed Gwen, rushing to my side. "Thank God you're okay! We all thought you were dead!"

"I did too," I said.

"You feeling all right?" asked Ringo, a little calmer.

"Yeah," I said. "Did I get shot?"

"No," said John. "You just sprained yer ankle. Don't worry, we got it taken care of."

"You might want to stay in bed for a few hours," said Jane.

"Jane!" I said, remembering that she was with me the night this all happened. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. "I ran off like you told me to, and on my way back to the hotel, I ran into John. I told him you were in trouble, and he went after you. I take it he was successful."

"Yeah, he was," I said. I just couldn't believe that the man was John! I had never seen him go off on someone like that!

"We're just all glad that you're okay!" said Pattie.

"Let's take a look at your ankle," said Paul. I bit my lip as I took the bed sheets off of my leg. I slowly moved them down, exposing my ankle inch by inch. I saw everyone's eyes get wider and wider as my ankle became more and more visible. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what everybody was so shocked at. I became aware of the pain as I remembered the events of last night. I whimpered as it slowly came back to me.

"Woah..." said Gwen.

"That's bad," said George.

That made me not want to open my eyes at all.

I felt a hand on my cheek. "It's okay, love," I heard John say. "I know it hurts, but it could've been a lot worse."

If not for you, I thought. I nodded and slowly opened my eyes.

Instead of the normal, pale-coloured skin that my ankle usually had, it was puffy, bruised black and blue, and had veins snaking out from the center. It was also very painful.

"Ah!" I cried out, lunging toward it to hold it, but John stopped me.

"That'll only make it worse," he said.

"Is it...broken?" I asked. Tears of pain rushed to my eyes, but I held them in.

"No," said John. "You just sprained it very bad."

"I'll get her some ice," said Ringo. He left the room and went over to the kitchen. When Ringo left, I saw John looking into my eyes with such an intensity, I just can't describe it fully. It wasn't a scary stare; but it was full of emotion, like he was overflowing with some sort of feeling. I wondered if this was the love he felt for me that Paul told me about. As soon as Ringo came back with a bag of ice, he snapped back onto Planet Earth and took the bag from Ringo.

"Here you go, Eileen," said John. "I'll just hold this here. It'll bring the swelling down and numb it a bit."

I saw Gwen smile slyly. "Maybe we should leave guys..." she said. The others took her hint and left, all trying not to laugh, even Ringo. Paul winked at me as he walked through the door, and George raised his eyebrows. As soon as Pattie left, John and I were alone.

It was pretty quiet for a while. John was holding the ice to my ankle and I was lying back on my pillow, resting, trying to forget about the stress I've been going through. I remembered the last time we were alone in my flat. John had kissed me for the first time. I savored that moment, the taste of his lips on mine...

"So," said John suddenly, knocking me out of my la-la land, making me jump. "Is it feeling any better?"

"Yeah," I said. "A bit."

"That's good," said John. It was silent again. I could tell that John wanted to say something badly, but it just wasn't coming out. He bit his lip and sighed.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to get it out of him.

"Well..." he said. "I was wondering...the boys and I were getting ready to go on a European tour."

"A tour?" I said. "All over Europe?"

"Yeah," said John. "And...I was wondering...I didn't talk it over with Brian yet because I didn't have a chance, but I'd think under the current circumstances, he would probably say yes...but would you like to go on tour with us?"

My insides felt like exploding. A tour, in Europe (well, we were already in Europe...) with The Beatles? With John? That just made my day! I forgot all about my ankle, so I shot up in excitement, my bad leg jumping up, hitting John square in the face. We both cried out in pain.

"I think that's a 'yes'?" said John, rubbing his nose.

"Oh, John, that's a hell yes!" I shouted, grinning ear to ear. "I'd love to!"

"Great!" said John, smiling too.

"How long it is going to be?" I asked.

"About six months," said John.

"Wow..." I said.

"I'm not making any promises about you going yet, though," said John. "I still have to talk it over with Eppy. He can be a little uptight sometimes."

"So I've noticed," I said. "When does it start?"

"In about two months," said John.

"Okay," I said. "Where are you going first?"

"Oh, only out starting place!" said John. "Germany!"

"That sounds like fun," I said. "I just hope that shooter doesn't follow us there."

"Oh, he won't, don't worry," said John. "The way I dealt with him, I don't think he'll want to be within a mile-long radius of you, anyway!"

"Oh, you got that right!" I said. We talked a little more about what tours are like. John told me all about how the fangirls chase them all over town if they're not wearing their disguises and how they pretty much try to kill any girl they see walk past them. That scared me for a bit, but then John said I'd be dressed as a boy.

"A boy?" I asked.

"Yeah, a boy," said John. "Ya know, so they don't think yer some new girlfriend or something." I sighed. I really wanted to be the new girlfriend. I was starting to hate those stupid fangirls very much right now...

The next day, I was well and sitting at my piano, just playing around. John had gone out a few minutes ago, and I had nothing to do. It was still pretty early-only about nine-o-clock or so. Ringo was supposed to be coming in to watch me in a little bit. After that last event, the boys weren't taking any chances of leaving me alone for a second. It got to me a little, that they thought I was incapable of taking care of myself, but then I reminded myself that these were The Beatles taking care of me, and I thought better of it.

As I tinkered around, I came across a sort of melody. It was completely improvised, but I worked out a motive and it soon became organized. It sounded like something that could be played on a harpsichord rather than on a piano; a kind of baroque style from the seventeenth or eighteenth century. My fingers danced around the keys, hammering softly every trill, grace note, and mordent. When I figured out that I had found something, I quickly rushed to my manuscript book and transcribed it. I was about halfway through when I heard a knock on the door.

I limped across the room from the piano to the door. My ankle was still sore from my fall. I opened it and saw Ringo standing in the doorway, smiling.

"Hi, Ringo," I said. "Come on in."

"Hey, Eileen," said Ringo as he walked into the flat. He turned to my piano and saw my open manuscript book. "Writing something?"

"Yeah," I said, closing the book so the music wouldn't get messed up. "Just playing around."

"Can you play it?" asked Ringo, sitting down on the floor next to the piano like a little five-year-old ready for storytime.

"It's not finished yet..." I said, but Ringo was looking up at me with those adorable blue eyes. How could I say no to him! "But I'll play what I have."

"Great!" said Ringo. I opened the book to the page with my new "song" on it, and began to play. Ringo's face lit up as I played, like a child at Christmas who saw a shiny new bike under his tree.

I stopped where I had left off. "That's all I have so far," I said.

"I liked it," said Ringo.

"Thank you," I said, beaming. Ringo turned red, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you have a name for it?" asked Ringo.

I thought for a minute. "No," I said. "Not yet."

"I knew you played," said Ringo, toying with a couple keys, "but I didn't know you were that good."

It was my turn to blush. "Well, thanks," I said, embarrassed. "I'll try not to let it get to my head."

We sat there for a few more minutes, just talking. Ringo was an easy person to talk to. He was so easygoing and sweet that you could say anything to him. I could see why Gwen liked him so much.

"Hey, Ringo?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he said.

"When am I supposed to be getting back to the hotel?"

Ringo checked his watch. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "I'm supposed to be driving you over there right now!" He grabbed my hand, careful not to hurt my ankle, and rushed out with me to his car parked outside.

"Sorry your stay at home was so short Eileen," said Ringo, getting into the driver's seat next to me."

"Oh, that's okay," I said. "It was getting kind of boring there anyway."

Ringo started the engine, and began to drive back to the hotel. He was looking like he wanted to say something, but he was hesitating. Finally, he got up the guts to say it:

"Do you think that Gwen likes me?"

I laughed, and Ringo cringed. "Oh, of course she does!" I said. I didn't want to mention anything about her boyfriend; it might hurt Ringo.

"Oh, okay," said Ringo, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"Why?" I asked. I thought I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from Ringo.

"Well..." said Ringo, getting redder by the second. "It's just that-um-well-I kinda...like her too..."

"Do you?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Yeah," said Ringo breezily. "Yeah, I do."

"That's good," I said. "She's a great girl, Gwen."

"She is," said Ringo. "But what do I say to her? How do I tell her? I was never good at this."

"Just tell her the truth," I said, shrugging. "Tell her how you feel, and be yourself. If she really likes you, it's for who you are."

"But, what if she only likes you because I'm a Beatle?" asked Ringo.

I paused to think about that. It was a legitimate question. Was Gwen the type of person to go after a cute, sweet guy like Ringo just because of fame and fortune?

I turned to face Ringo. "Of course she doesn't," I said. "Gwen's not that type."

Ringo believed me, and his smile got even bigger. "That's good to know," he said. We talked about Gwen all the way to the hotel. Ringo seemed really into her, there was no doubt about it. But the one problem was Gwen's boyfriend...would she break up with him? She was really into him until she met The Beatles and Ringo. I didn't know if it was right to mention Gwen's boyfriend in front of Ringo. I wanted to see what Gwen would do.

"Speaking of liking," said Ringo. "What's with you and John?"

My heart skipped a beat and I bit my lip. What should I say? I could tell Ringo; everyone else knew, anyway. "Well, there's nothing really going on with us at the moment," I said. "but I-" I hesitated.

"You what?" said Ringo, in suspense.

"I think I'm in love," I said, proudly.

"In love?" said Ringo.

"Yes," I said. "I'm in love with John."

"Does he know?" asked Ringo.

I paused for a moment. "I don't know," I said. It was then that Ringo pulled into a space in the parking lot of the hotel. We quietly snuck around the back so we wouldn't get recognized and made it to our room.

"Feeling better, Eileen?" asked Pattie as soon as Ringo and I stepped through the door.

"Yeah," I said, limping over to her. "Just a little sore."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," said John, coming over to me.

"It would've been worse if you weren't there," I said, smiling. I swear, I saw John actually blush. That was a first!

A second later, there was a knock on the door. "I've got it," I said, limping to it. I turned the knob, and gasped in surprise, not at the person, but at the expression on his face.


	26. Chapter 26

Standing at the door to the hotel room was none other than my brother Charlie, looking quite stern. "Hi, Charlie," I said, trying to brighten up the mood. I smiled widely.

"Eileen," said Charlie, his tone of voice as stern as his face, "We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked, The Beatles, Gwen, Pattie, and Jane watching nervously in the background.

"About you staying here," he said, gesturing around the hotel room. "I heard what happened to you the other night. Jerri told me, and she said that crazy guy got to her to, and I believe her by the look of her-she's covered in bruises, all over her face. Eileen, it's not safe for you to be here, alone, where that killer knows where you are!"

"But I'm not alone!" I said. "There are tons of people here!"

"But they're not your family," said Charlie.

"Charlie," said Gwen. "Eileen has known me and Pattie all her life. We are family!"

"I'm closer," said Charlie. "Eileen, I'm taking you home with me, where you're safe."

"What?" I said, outraged. "Charlie, you can't just do this, I'm fine here!"

"Not judging by your ankle," said Charlie, looking at it.

"That's just my ankle!" I said. "The man barely touched me!"

"He got close," said Charlie. "I don't know how you made it out of there alive."

"I know!" said John, stepping up to Charlie. "I saved her life. For the third time!" John looked enraged at the fact that anyone, even my brother, would dare do anything to upset me. He stared Charlie down with his narrow brown eyes with an expression of pure loathing. "I want you to think twice about what you say about her not being safe here."

Charlie looked at John the same way with his pale blue eyes. "I did think twice, if you didn't notice it, Mr. Lennon."

"That's John to you," said John. This was awful. My brother and the man I loved, fighting.

"Well then, _John,"_Charlie said, putting emphasis on John's name, "I suppose that you have feelings for my sister, that you care for her so much, eh?"

John turned a slight shade of pink, but I think that was from anger, mostly. "What does it mean to you if I do?" asked John.

"I'm her brother, and it happens to mean a lot to me," said Charlie, pulling me towards him. "Come on, Eileen, say goodbye; we're leaving."

"No!" I shouted, yanking myself away from him. "Charlie, I know you want me to be safe, but I am! These are my friends, and they'd do anything to protect me, even if it meant their lives!"

"I'm your brother, I'm more than a friend!" said Charlie. "And how did any of them give their lives for you?"

"John jumped in front of a bullet the third time the shooter came!" I said, near tears. "He almost died, but was proud of it! And just the last time, he actually _fought _the shooter, and almost died, too! And it wasn't just him-Ringo helped me run away from the shooter the second time! Jane was the one who found John the last time! Now tell me I'm not safe here!" I was enraged.

"If you weren't here, none of that would have happened!" said Charlie.

"That's not true," I said. "Do you want to know who the shooter is?"

"Who is he?" asked Charlie.

"The man who killed mum!" I shouted. Tears were freely pouring down my cheeks now. It was the first time since Mum was killed. Since then, I learned to hide my sadness, keep it in check. I wanted to hide behind the mask of a happy person all the time, but I couldn't anymore. I let my emotions free.

John came up to me and hugged me. He looked over my shoulder at Charlie with a look of pure hatred. "Eileen is staying here, Mr. Carter," he said.

I pulled back from John and tried to get myself together. I dried my eyes and spoke. "We'll flip a coin," I said, looking from my friends to my left and my brother to my right. "Heads, I stay here, with everyone. Tails, I go with Charlie."

"Good idea, Eileen," said Charlie. He pulled a coin out of his pocket. "I'll flip!"

"No," I said, taking the coin. "I know you'll cheat."

"Fine," said Charlie bitterly. The three of us stood in the middle of the room, me in between John and Charlie. Ringo, Paul, and Jane were behind John, and Gwen, Pattie, and George were by me. I slowly raised the coin.

"You remember which is which?" I asked.

The two nodded.

I gulped and placed the coin on top on my closed fist. My head swam with the consequences of what would happen in both situations. If the coin landed on heads, I would stay here with John and everybody, but Charlie would probably hate me forever. If it was tails, I'd be with my brother, but I'd never see the man I loved again. Taking a deep breath, I tossed the coin up in the air.

It seemed like slow motion, the coin twirling about in the air. I never stopped looking at it, out of fear that Charlie might snatch in and change it. My heart rate quickened as it got closer and closer to the ground. Gwen gripped my hand and I gripped it back. I really wanted to stay here.

There was a dull thump as the coin hit the carpet. Paul kneeled down to read my fate. He bit his lip when he saw.

"What is it?" I whispered, afraid.

Paul looked up at me with sadness and regret in his eyes. "Tails," he said.

I thought I was hearing things. "Tails?" I asked.

Paul nodded somberly.

Tears overflowed in my eyes again as my brother gave a triumphant grin to John. "Better luck next time, John," he said.

He didn't even let me say goodbye. Charlie just grabbed my hand and led me out of the room without a backward glance. "It's alright, Eileen," he said. "I'm sure you'll have a great time. You'll be with Jerri!"

Oh God. I felt sick to my stomach. Yet another downside to living with Charlie. I loved my brother with all my heart, but I knew I loved John more. When we were outside, I reluctantly got into Charlie's car, and he drove off, ready for me to start a new, "safer" life. My heart ached-it was broken.

_"John's P.O.V.*__  
_I was outraged. Horrified. Furious, and all other synonyms you could think of. How dare that stupid, bloody idiot just barge in there and take my Eileen away! I wanted to hit something, but when Paul saw me going for the nearest china plate, he pulled me back.

"Just control yourself, John," he said. "We'll get her back."

"How!' I shouted, making Pattie jump. "How are we going to? Something tells me her brother'll skin me alive if I come anywhere within a mile of his house!"

"You forget who's in the room with you now," said Gwen, looking at her fingernails.

"Who?" I asked sarcastically.

Gwen looked up. "Gwen Stanley, schemer and trickster extrodenare! Eileen'll be back with us in no time with me around!"

"I hope you're telling the truth," I said.

"She is," said Pattie. "She always has something up her sleeve.

"It's true," said Gwen breezily.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Ringo.

"Hang on, hang on, I'll think of something!" said Gwen. Ringo nodded, embarrassed. I started to wonder what kind of thing Gwen was talking about...would she really have us kidnap Eileen from her brother's house? It was a possibility.

"I just want her back," I said.

"Cheer up, John," said George. "It's not like she'll never see us again."

"I hope you're right, George," I said. I got up and walked to me room and closed the door behind me. I sat on my bed and thought all about me and Eileen. About the first time I met her. About how she almost chose Paul over me, and the chaos it caused. About every time she touched me, how it made me feel. About when I saved her life, and the physical pain it caused me, but how when I remembered how Eileen was alive because of it, the pain went away and it was all worth it. About her sky-blue eyes and how they looked at me. About when I kissed her, and how she kissed me back. It was so sweet, so special, I wanted it to happen again and again, but I knew that would never happen again. She was gone.

Eileen was unlike any girl I had ever met. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and kind. I loved the way she laughed at every word I said, how she smiled so sweetly. I remembered the sound of her fingers dancing over the keys of her piano, how great and musical it sounded. I loved her. But I realized that when I told her that we couldn't be together, that all she was to me was a little sister, I hurt her. I wished I could tell her how much I loved her...

The door suddenly opened. I jumped, but I relaxed when I saw it was Pattie who walked in. She sat down on the bed next to me and just looked at me. She gazed at me with compassion, feeling, a friend needing to help.

"John," she said. "I just want to say I'm sorry for you."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm sorry for you, too. She was your best friend."

"Yes, she was," said Pattie. "I don't think Charlie was being fair."

"No, he wasn't," I said.

"He's usually nicer than that," said Pattie. "I guess he really wanted Eileen to be with him. He's very protective of her, you know."

"Yeah, you can say that again," I said.

"Gwen'll fine a way to get her back," said Pattie. "We all know how much you love her."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Eileen's a strong person." said Pattie. "She'll find a way to live through it."

"But what if she can't live?" I asked. "What if the shooter comes when her brother's back is turned, and she's killed? I won't be around."

"Charlie wouldn't let that happen to her," said Pattie. "He'd kill himself before he'd let Eileen die."

"So would I," I said. "Even seeing her ankle bruised up was too much for me. She can't be hurt."

"Everything will be okay, though," said Pattie, her eyes filling with tears. She hugged me, and I knew I had a friend. Losing Eileen must have been hard for her too. Already it felt like the woman I loved had died and gone away, with nothing but a memory to remember her by. I ran my fingers through Pattie's hair as she cried on my shoulder, and it reminded me of Eileen's soft, soft hair. Pattie pulled away from me, her face in a bittersweet smile.

"Are you sure Eileen will be okay?" I asked, choked up.

"Yeah," said Pattie. "Charlie loves her a lot in his life."

"But," I said. "But in my life, I love her more." It was true-I loved Eileen more than anything on this planet earth, and I wasn't afraid to let it show. I was going to get her back, as soon as Gwen got a plan together, which according to Pattie, wouldn't take long. I was going to have my love back whether her meddling brother liked it or not.

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*__  
_I walked into Charlie's house, still teary. It seemed like so long since I'd been there.

"Welcome home, Eileen!" said Charlie cheerily. I didn't answer that-it wasn't home to me. I thought of John and sighed. I put a hand over my heart. I didn't feel a beat.


	27. Chapter 27

It was two days since Charlie had taken me away from the hotel room with Gwen, Pattie, Jane, and The Beatles to come live with him and Jerri. I hadn't seen Jerri yet, since she was at the hospital recovering from her wounds from who was possibly the shooter. Charlie and I were sitting on the couch in his flat, waiting for her to come home.

"I still don't understand what you like about her," I said, taking a sip of orange juice. I looked longingly at Charlie's soda, which I wasn't allowed to have, being a model.

"What is there not to like?" said Charlie. "She's great!"

I made a gagging noise in the back of my throat.

"Oh, come on, Eileen," said Charlie. "You'll warm up to her; she definitely warmed up to you! Living with her will change your mind." He saw me looking at his soda.

"What?" I asked, noticing him looking at me.

"Eileen, if you want it, you can have some," he said, lifting his soda. I didn't even hesitate. I went straight to his cup, and took a large sip from the straw. It had been so long since I had any form of junk food. I wondered how Gwen and Pattie fared from it. Oh...just the thought of them made me miserable. I missed the two of them terribly. They were back at the hotel room with The Beatles. Hopefully Gwen was making up some twisted scheme to get me out of this fix.

Suddenly, I saw the doorknob turn. Charlie got up to greet Jerri, who had just walked in, with a kiss. When he backed away from her, I saw her face.

It was bruised up terribly, one of her hazel eyes swollen shut with a bruise. Her nose had a bump in it that showed it was broken, and she had stitches in her lip. I almost felt sorry for her, but then I remembered that she was flirting with John the last time we met. That made all my remorse go away. "Hello, Eileen," she said, attempting a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," I said, trying not to look at her. "You?"

"Oh, I wish I were better," said Jerri. "I feel your pain, being chased after that deranged killer. I hope he gets caught soon."

Well, at least we shared a common opinion on that. "Yeah, I wish too," I said.

"But let's lighten up, shall we?" said Jerri cheerily. Wow, leave it to Jerri Dunn to be a little ball of sunshine when half of her face is covered in bruises. Sometimes I wish I had the ability to remain happy all the time, without being that annoying, of course.

"That's the spirit, Jerri!" said Charlie, pulling softly at a lock of her hair. I felt bile come up the back of my throat. This was not going to be a very enjoyable life...oh, Gwen, wherever you are, you'd better hurry up with that plan...

_*Gwen's P.O.V.*__  
_"I'm working on it!" I shouted at the last person who pestered me about my scheme to get Eileen out of the clutches of her brother. I didn't even know who it was this time-I was frustrated to the point of blowing up, so I really didn't care who the hell it was this time. I was sitting in a pile of papers with summaries of my plans on them, all of the failures so far. I frowned at my last one: "_Build a giant catapult and put John in it so he can fly through Charlie's house, grab hold of Eileen in midair, and run back to hotel."_On it was a poorly drawn picture of a stick-figure-John flying from a catapult with a stick-figure-Eileen in his arms. I had showed it to everyone, knowing that it would not work at all, but it got some laughs out of them. I'm glad it lightened the mood.

Sighing, I crumpled that piece of paper up. It had been two days, and I still didn't have a single stroke of genius. If the situation were anything else, I probably would have given up by now, but it was my best friend in trouble, and I wouldn't rest till I got something done!

"Hey there, Gwen," said Ringo, coming over to sit next to me. "Anything yet?"

"Nope," I said. I didn't explode at Ringo because he wasn't on top of me every second. That was mostly John, but could you blame him? "I'm all blocked up. In my head, I mean." Boy was I glad that John or Paul weren't there when I said that. They would have made all kinds of jokes about that, despite their horrible mood.

"That sucks," said Ringo. He picked up one of my crumpled-up plans and un-crumpled it. It was the one where we would've had John come to the door and act like a salesman. It would've been good, only it would've been hard to sneak Eileen out the door.

"I think that was the best one so far," I said, looking over his shoulder. I sighed and tried to get back into my brain.

"Geez, Gwen," said Ringo. "What happened to you? Where did all the liveliness go?"

"It flew out the window," I said. Ringo laughed and bounced one of my curls. I blushed. Wait-hold on! Gwen Stanley does _not _blush! She peruses guys without fear or shyness! Why must I blush around Ringo?

"I'm sure it'll come back," said Ringo, smiling. Wow-his smile was enough to brighten up the most cloudy day. It made me smile a bit, and also made my insides flip around.

"I hope," I said. Ringo nodded and left me to hopelessly brainstorm a whole other series of plans. Possibly good ones. I thought for a moment, and one hit me. I eagerly scribbled it down.

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*__  
_That same day, Charlie, Jerri, and me were sitting on the couch watching the movie, "_Psycho."_I didn't find it scary at all, but Jerri was all huddled up in Charlie's arms, hiding her face-which was covered in crocodile-tears to go along with the bruises-in his chest. Pathetic. I think the main reason I wasn't scared shitless by the movie was because I was currently being chased by a killer-except mine had a gun instead of a knife.

"Oh, Charlie love, that was so _scary!"_whined Jerri during the ending credits. "You were so brave to protect me from it!" Protect her from something from behind a movie screen? I decided to keep my mouth shut. It would be better for me.

"It's okay, Jerri," said Charlie. "Next time, we'll pick a better movie."

"I liked it," I said.

"Oh, well of course!" said Jerri. "The poor dear's used to it!" I kept my thoughts to myself on that one, too. At this point, I didn't know which was worse-being away from John or being with Jerri. Oh, John...I wondered if he was thinking about me like I was thinking about him. My thoughts were cut short by Charlie.

"Eileen, it's getting late, why don't you get to bed?" he said.

I yawned. I actually was tired. "Good idea," I said. I got up off the couch and limped over to my room.

"Good-night, Eileen!" called Jerri.

"Night," I muttered back. I really wanted to do things to her after she was asleep...like cut her hair off or draw on her face with a permanent marker. That would be great. It would definitely get rid of all my stress that I'd been in over the past few days. I made my way over to my makeshift room and opened the door. It was a small room, since Charlie's flat only had one bedroom, he had made the den into my bedroom. It had a small cot in the corner, a tiny bookshelf, and a little nightstand with a record player sitting on it. In that record player was a Beatles record. I put the needle down and pressed the play button. The record scratched, and then started playing "If I Fell." I fell asleep listening to the song, hearing John's tender voice singing. As I nodded off, the song began to melt with my dream, and I was soon in a peaceful slumber.

"Eileen," I heard a voice say out of nowhere. "Eileen, it's time to get up."

My eyes fluttered open. It was bright out. Too bright. I blinked my eyes as I sat up in my cot. Was it morning already? Impossible, I had only just fallen asleep! "What time is it..."

"It's nine-thirty," said the voice. My vision focused, and I saw Charlie looking over me.

"What!" I shouted. "Already?"

"Yeah," said Charlie. "Jerri and I are already up."

"Oh," I said. "I'll be right there." Charlie nodded and left the room, and I crawled out of bed. I got dressed, brushed my hair, and walked out into the living room. Charlie and Jerri were sitting on the couch outside. I decided this would be my chance to run off, but as soon as I made in the direction of the door, I was stopped by Jerri.

"Eileen," she said. "Do you want to do something with me today, just the girls?"

I hesitated. Maybe, if I got out of the house, I could slip away from Jerri and get back to my real home. But if I failed, Charlie would keep me on house arrest, or it would be just another day with Jerri Dunn. Come on, think...

"Okay," I said, faking a smile. "Let's go!"

Jerri smiled and shot up off the couch, grabbing my arm and dragging me out the door. "Oh, isn't this great?" she said. "Just you and me, together, out, no silly boys!"

"Yeah," I said, trying to seem enthusiastic.

"Well, bye, Charlie!" said Jerri right before the door closed.

"Bye, girls!" said Charlie.

"Now..." said Jerri. "Where to?"

"Dunno," I said. "You decide."

"How about a record store?" suggested Jerri.

"Sounds good," I said. Grinning, Jerri linked her arm in mine. I reluctantly let her; I could play friends for one day. Besides, I would probably be running off today, so what did it matter? I pretended to be having a good time as Jerri and I skipped (uhg) off to the record store.

_*Pattie's P.O.V.*__  
_I walked out to the main room only to find Gwen still in a mess of crumpled-up papers. I walked over to her and kneeled down next to her.

"Any progress?" I asked.

Gwen shrugged. "Maybe, I'm not sure," she said. "Whenever I think I have something good, it's always proven wrong by me or someone else."

"Well, keep trying," I said. "I saw John banging his head on the wall in his room singing 'Misery'. I'm not sure how much more he can take of it."

That made Gwen smile a bit. "Actually, I'm not sure how much more _I _can take of it, myself," she said. "Eileen was our voice of reason, without her, the two of us will spiral into complete and utter chaos."

I laughed. "I hope that's not true," I said. "How long has she been gone?"

Gwen counted on her fingers. "About three days," she said.

"God," I said. "This isn't right. Charlie should trust us here; he's known us for as long as Eileen has, and that's a long time."

Hey, you never know," said Gwen. "Maybe he'll crack send Eileen back here, and act like nothing ever happened!"

"Maybe," I said. "I'll leave you alone, now, you need to think. Unless you need help."

Gwen swatted the air with her hand. "Nah, I'm fine," she said. "Thanks."

"No problem," I said. I got up and began to walk over to the room George and I shared. I saw that George wasn't in there; he was probable at a show or press conference. I sat on the bed and lost myself in thought. This entire problem was resting on Gwen to solve. Unless Eileen figured out a clever way to get herself out of this fix, then I wasn't sure what would happen. All the rest of us could do was wait and see.


	28. Chapter 28

"Eileen, come on!" said Jerri, gripping my arm so tight that I was starting to lose feeling in any part below the middle of my upper arm.

"We have to get in before all the good records are taken!"

"Can you let go of my arm?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh!" said Jerri. "Sorry!" She stopped strangling my arm, but she left five white stripes where her fingers had stopped the blood flow. Just hold it all in, Eileen, yelling will get you nowhere...

"Well, let's go in!" said Jerri, gesturing me to follow her through the doors of the record store. I nodded and followed her, a little less enthusiastically. I was thinking of the perfect plan to escape Charlie's captivity. I would suggest that Jerri and I look for records separately, and when she had her back turned, I would make a run for it. Simple enough-now to see if it would work.

"So, Eileen, what do you like?" asked Jerri.

"Well," I said, my heart thumping nervously. "What I was thinking is that we both split up and find stuff by ourselves."

"Good idea!" said Jerri.

"Yeah," I said. "That way, we don't have to argue about what either of us want." Stupid reason, but Jerri would believe anything.

"Great!" said Jerri. "I'll go look at some Beatles records!" She skipped off. I searched my brain to find an artist that was far off from where the Beatles records were. I looked around until I found Buddy Holly in the Hs. I had to make it look like I was looking before I escaped. This was all too easy! I was flipping through the records, trying to scope out which exit would be the best way to dash when a man came up next to me.

"Excuse me, Miss, but I was wondering how much this record is," he said.

"I'm not sure," I said. I looked up. I felt my stomach drop all the way to the bottom of my torso. The man who had asked me the question, the man who I was looking up at, was none other than the very man who had killed my mother and who was now out to get me. I froze in my place, wondering what to do. If I ran, he would chase me and I would lead him back to all my friends. If I stayed where I was, he might kill me right here. But he might not, because of all the people here. Maybe I should lead him to Jerri...nah, Charlie'd kill me before this guy would.

"Oh, sorry Miss," said the man. "I thought you worked here." A ghost of a smile was on his skull-like face. It didn't even seem like a smile; more like a cold grimace. I shuddered.

"Something the matter?" the man leered.

"No," I said quickly.

"You look oddly familiar," said the man, leaning closer. "Do I know you?"

"I dunno," I said. Of course you know me, I thought. You killed my mother, and now you're out to get me! "You may be mistaking me for someone else."

"What's your name?" he asked. Oh God, what do I tell him? If I told him my name, that would make it all the more easier for him to track me down! But I had to tell him something. I searched the deepest corners of my brain for a name...

"Jane," I said.

"Jane what?" asked the man. Oh God, how to come up with a last name?

"Lennon," I said quickly.

"Jane Lennon?" said the man. "Is there a relation to John Lennon, by any chance?"

I faked a laugh. "Oh, no, but everybody thinks so!" I really hoped this was pulling through. I wasn't sure if the shooter could see right through me or not. "Jane does sound a lot like John, don't you think?"

"It does," said the man. I giggled again. The man nodded.

"Well, I'd better be on my way, Jane," said the man. "I have things to do."

"What kind of things?" I asked impulsively.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, Miss Lennon," said the man. With another cold smile, he glided out the door of the record store, leaving me scared and horrified. I knew what he was trying to do! He knew I wasn't some made-up "Jane Lennon," and he knew that I wanted to get back to the hotel room! He was going to use my friends as bait, especially John! Then he would hunt me down and kill all of us! I couldn't let that happen! How was I to get back?

"Eileen!" called Jerri from the Chuck Berry section. "Did you find anything?"

"Uh, no," I said. "They didn't have anything I really liked."

"Oh," said Jerri. "Okay!" She came over to me and linked her arm in mine again. I racked my brains if I should tell her about what happened or not. I wasn't sure if I could trust her. She was dating my brother, but that didn't mean much. I wasn't even sure if I'd tell Charlie. I'd just have to wait and see how the dice would fall.

_*Gwen's P.O.V.*  
_I rushed out of the record store, in disbelief of what I saw. Eileen, with the shooter, talking! Eileen looked scared out of her wits, and the shooter looked like he would have liked to kill her then and there! I had to tell the others what happened, and why I couldn't bring her back. I dashed across streets and sidewalks, and into the hotel room.

"Guys!" I shouted just as I burst through the door, panting heavily.

"Gwen!" said Pattie. "What happened?"

"Did you find Eileen?" said Ringo.

"Yeah, I found her," I said, clutching my aching ribs.

"Where is she?" asked John, his spirits finally coming up. I felt bad that I would have to let them down now. It hurt to see him so upset like this.

"I couldn't get her," I said. John's face fell.

"Why?" asked Paul.

I told them all about what happened with her and Jerri in the record store, and how the shooter showed up. As I was telling the story, the faces of everybody in the room had very shocked expressions.

"The shooter was out there?" exploded John. "Why didn't you get her away from him?"

"Because," I said, keeping my normal level head, "if I would've taken Eileen, the shooter would have followed the two of us here, and probably would've killed Eileen, and everyone else here!"

"Oh," said John, crestfallen. I had to say, I felt sorry for the poor guy. He must have loved Eileen very much. I know I'd have a mental breakdown if Ringo got stolen away by his overprotective sibling. Oh, geez! I seriously had to stop thinking of Ringo like that...but it was difficult.

"Well, I have to admit that girl is smart," said Jane. "Changing her name and all that. But couldn't she be a little bit more creative? I mean, what's so special about my name? I could understand her using 'Lennon,' but I just don't understand why my name's so special."

George shrugged. "I dunno, maybe she likes the name."

"Oh, well..." said Jane, giggling and turning red.

"So, Gwen," said Paul. "Any more bright ideas?"

"Um..." I said, unsure. "We have to think of some way to get to Eileen when we're sure that the shooter is nowhere to be found. When we've found that place, we'll take her without her brother or his stuck-up annoying girlfriend knowing!"

"You had a chance today," said John bitterly.

"John," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder in a seemingly futile attempt to comfort him. "That man would've killed all of us, along with Eileen. It wouldn't have done any good."

"I would've died for her," said John. "Better me than her."

"She wouldn't want that!" I said, laughing. "John, dear, we're trying to find out a way to save her that doesn't include any of us being killed in the process!"

"We should get started on that right away," said Pattie.

"Pat, don't rush her," said George, but that was right when a lightbulb flashed its light over my head.

"I've got it!" I shouted to no one in particular. I rushed off to my work space to begin the works of what would bring Eileen back here and to stop John from moping. This was gonna be good...

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*  
_Later that day, I laid on my cot staring up at the ceiling. It was old, and the paint was dry and peeling off, sometimes bits of it falling on my face. I was thinking if I should tell Charlie or Jerri what happened at the record store. Knowing Charlie, he'd probably lock me up like a princess in the highest room of the tallest tower and guard me like a fire-breathing dragon, so I wasn't sure how good of an idea it was to tell him. If I told Jerri, she'd just tell Charlie. I was at a loss.

I was also starting to get worried at other things. Gwen was usually faster about making plans than this. Even on a bad day, she'd usually have a person out of a fix by now. I wondered what was taking her so long. I was starting to think the shooter got to her at one point, but I doubted it.

I heard footsteps coming to my door. I still stayed sprawled out spread-eagled on my cot. The door opened and Charlie stood in the doorway. "Hello, Eileen, dinner's ready, are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," I said. I got up off the bed and finger-combed my frizzed hair. I followed Charlie out the door and into the dining room, my heart pounding. If I was going to tell him, how? All evening, I was thinking out ways in my head. If Pattie or Gwen were here, they'd be able to help me through this, but they weren't.

"Hello, Eileen!" greeted Jerri. "Great to see you out of your room!"

I smiled and sat down at the table, as far away from Jerri as I could.

"So, Eileen do you like pork roast?" asked Charlie. I nodded solemnly like I was saying "Yes I do, but it would've been nice if you asked me before the fact" as he served the tender meat on my plate. If there was one true thing, Charlie was a good cook. The pleasant smell of the pork almost made me think twice about wanting to go back home, but I came to my senses. I nibbled at the pork in silence.

"What's the matter, Eileen?" asked Jerri. "Upset that you didn't find a good record today?"

"No," I said quickly. "Just tired."

"You sure?" asked Charlie. "Sis, you're never like this."

"I told you, I'm fine," I said as I stabbed my vegetables with my fork.

"Okay, Eileen, but if you ever need to talk to anybody, I'm here," said Charlie dismissively. We ate in silence. I was beginning to get slightly nervous; I suspected that Charlie knew that something was really bothering me. To tell him, or not to tell him? If he did put me on house-arrest, he'd only be trying to protect me, and Gwen would (hopefully) get me out of this whole mess soon.

"Oh, Charlie, dear, this food is absolutely _exquisite!" _Jerri praised from across the table.

"Thank you, Jerri," said Charlie. "Eileen, what'd you think?"

"It was good," I said, looking down at the table.

"Eileen, there's really something bothering you," said Charlie. "And I'm going to find out."

"I told you, Charlie, I'm fine!" I snapped. I stopped short, breathing hard, surprised at what I had done. This was the only time in my life, other than when he took me away from the hotel, that I yelled at Charlie. I froze there, staring at Charlie's outraged, shocked face. "I'm sorry, Charlie." I said, ashamed.

"It's okay, Eileen," said Charlie. "But I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be," I said. "Really, I'm okay."

"Are you missing your friends back at the hotel?" asked Charlie. "I think that's it."

"Oh, Eileen, we're ever so sorry!" said Jerri.

"No, it's not that," I said.

"So there _is _something wrong!" said Charlie in a ha-ha-I-told-you-so voice.

"Well..." I said, twisting a lock of my hair around my index finger nervously.

"Charlie, if Eileen doesn't want to tell us now, she doesn't have to," Jerri whispered to Charlie.

"No, it's fine," I said. Charlie and Jerri stared at me intently with grey and hazel eyes. I actually got stagefright just from them looking at me. It was only a few simple words, but I was so afraid of the reaction that it suddenly felt like I was on a stage with a million people watching me after I had only one bad rehearsal. I probably looked really scared, because the two were actually starting to look concerned. I made up my mind. I took a deep breath and said the words:

"Charlie, Jerri, the shooter approached me in the record store."


	29. Chapter 29

Silence. No one at the table moved or said anything. Jerri gulped and rubbed the back of her neck, and Charlie just sat there, dumbstruck, staring at me like I had a third eye. "You what?" Charlie asked loudly, making me jump.

"I had a run-in with the shooter earlier today when Jerri and I were at the record store," I said simply, trying to remain calm.

"What happened Eileen?" asked Charlie sharply.

"He said he thought I worked there because he asked me how much a record was, and then he said that I looked familiar to him." I said. Charlie looked as if he were about to explode. I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sure this just made it worse.

"What else did he say?" asked Charlie. "Did he ask your name?"

I nodded, and Charlie's blue-grey eyes widened with absolute fear.

"What did you tell him?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I told him my name was Jane Lennon," I said calmly. Charlie let out a sigh of relief, but Jerri still looked scared out of her wits. Why would she be so scared over this? She didn't care for me _that _much, did she? She was probably like that because she was afraid that Charlie would yell at her for not looking out for me, which I thought was not very likely; if Charlie was upset with her, he would've shown it be now.

"Good," said Charlie, a little less tense.

"What should we do?" asked Jerri. Her voice was small, meek. Almost Pattie-esque. It was sort of comforting in a weird, twisted way.

"I think we should keep Eileen inside the house for the time being," said Charlie.

"Inside?" I asked, outraged.

"Eileen, it's for your own safety!" snapped Charlie.

"Charlie's right, Eileen," said Jerri. "We can't risk you getting caught. It would be horrible."

"But-" I began to protest, but it was no use. What's done is done when you're with Charlie, and that happened to be who I was with. There was just no point in arguing. We all finished dinner in silence, and I sulked back up to my room. I closed my door, but that didn't mean I still couldn't hear anything that went on outside. The walls in my room were very thin, so I could hear Jerri and Charlie talking as I laid down on my bed.

"Charlie, I really think we should give the girl another chance," said Jerri.

"No, Jerri, this is serious," said Charlie.

"But Charlie, dear, you can't just lock her up like this; the girl needs he freedom!" said Jerri.

"Love, I don't want to lose her just like I lost mum," said Charlie. "I'd be too much. I need to keep her safe."

"But as long as she's with one of us, she'll be safe," said Jerri. "If the shooter wanted to get her today, then she wouldn't be with us now."

"That is true," said Charlie. "But I don't want to take any more chances. Eileen is staying in this house until that crazy is caught."

"Oh, Charlie, please!" pleaded Jerri. I could mentally see her on her hands and knees. "I'll be with her the whole time! She's not some animal that you can just cage up like this-she's a human being that can take care of herself." I was shocked that Jerri was making such an effort to get Charlie to change his mind. It was almost as if she actually, genuinely cared for me.

"I know she's not an animal," said Charlie. "But she's my little sister." The conversation was ended like that, and I heard both of them walking separate ways. If Charlie wasn't going to let me out of the house, then how was I supposed to get back to the hotel? Thoughts clouding my mind, I pulled the covers over me and drifted off to sleep.

_*Pattie's P.O.V.*  
_It was midmorning on the fourth day of Eileen's "kidnapping," and I was standing outside the hotel under a tree. A taxi drove up to the curb, and Gregory climbed out of the driver's seat. He walked over to me, looking confused.

"Hey there, Miss Boyd," he said.

"Hello, Gregory," I said.

"Say, Miss Boyd," said Gregory. "I haven't seen Miss Carter 'round 'ere lately. She's still here, isn't she?"

I told him the story of what Charlie did. When I finished, he stood there with a shocked expression on his face. "So that's that," I said.

"Wow, Miss Boyd, that's horrible!" said Gregory. "Aren't you trying to get 'er back?"

"Yes," I said. "We've got out friend Gwen working on a plan. She's quite the schemer, you know." Of course I knew. The only twisted plan of Gwen's that didn't come off well were those costumes to get us into the old hotel for Eileen.

"Well, that's good," said Gregory. "What's her plan?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, she's being rather secret about it; she's not telling anyone."

Gregory frowned. "Is that normally a good thing?" he asked.

"Usually," I said. "It means that she's got an involved plan. That's really what we need now."

"I'd say," said Gregory. "Well, Miss Boyd, it's been a pleasure, and good luck with gettin' Miss Carter! If there's any way I can help, just call on me!"

"No problem!" I called over to the taxi as he drove away. Biting my lip, I went back into the hotel room. "Hey guys," I said as I walked in.

"Hey Pattie," said George, lounged out on the couch. "What's up?"

"I saw Gregory," I said.

"Gregory?" asked Ringo, flipping through the television channels, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"The taxi driver that drove Eileen around everywhere," I said.

"Oh, I remember him!" said John, perking up on the couch. "He was the one who drove me and Eileen to that modeling place for the photoshoot. What'd he say?"

"He was wondering where Eileen was," I explained. "He said he could be a help if we needed him."

"You'd better tell that to Gwen so she can work it out in her plan," said Paul, who was sitting on the floor next to Ringo with Jane sprawled out in his lap.

"I'll do that now," I said. I crept over to Gwen's room where she was working and opened the door slowly. I had to be quiet, or else Gwen would lose concentration and she's have to start again from square one. "Hey, Gwen," I said.

Gwen looked up from her papers. "Hey Pat. What's up?"

I kneeled down next to her. "How's the plan going?"

"Oh, it's going great!" said Gwen. "Now the only thing I need is transportation..."

Yes! "Really?" I asked. "I've got just the thing for you!"

"What?" asked Gwen.

"You remember that taxi driver I told you about-Gregory?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I ran into him this morning, and he said he wanted to help!"

"Oh my God, really?" shouted Gwen, jumping out of her seat, sending papers flying everywhere. "Oh, Pattie, this is great! We'll have Eileen back before we know it, and John'll stop sulking! Yes!" She shot up to me and hugged me, hard, and hopped back to her seat, scribbling notes and diagrams frantically.

"I'm glad you like that," I puffed, out of breath from her hug. I walked back out to the main room to the others waiting.

"Well?" asked Jane.

I grinned. "She loved it." I walked over to where George was lying on the couch, and snuggled up beside him. I felt content.

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*  
_It was lunchtime, and Charlie, Jerri, and I were all sitting around the table, eating silently. Last night was pretty rough, since all sorts of thoughts about being trapped in the house were swirling all around my head, so I was tired. When I woke up this morning, I swore just the thought of myself not being able to go out in the sun for God knows how long made my skin a shade lighter. I was going mad.

"You all finished, Eileen?" asked Charlie, reaching over for my empty plate.

"Yes, Mr. Mum," I said jokingly to him. Ever since I came here, Charlie was acting like a nursing-home coordinator. I was contemplating putting frilly pink apron on him.

"Oh, Charlie, you have to let me take care of things sometime," said Jerri as Charlie took my plate. "You're working yourself too hard."

"Jerri, I was just taking a plate," said Charlie.

Jerri didn't reply. After Charlie took my plate, I went up to my room. I didn't do anything; I just sat there. I put a random record on the turntable and it turned out to be Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." I listened to the song for a bit, tapping my fingers to the rhythm. I had hoped the song would take my mind off things, but sadly, "Johnny" really made it worse. Pathetic. Right then, I knew that I honestly had to look on the brighter side of life. I took that record off the turntable and put on another one. I was happy to hear "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison playing this time. It made me a little happier.

When the song ended, I remained silent. I looked out my window for about the millionth time today, and thought about what the others were doing back at the hotel room. I was starting to get worried that Gwen would not be able to come up with a plan. I bit my nails and finger-combed my hair. All my thoughts reached out to John.

_*John's P.O.V.*  
_I sat on my bed, thinking about Eileen. About her soft, blonde hair that smelled so sweet, her crystal clear blue eyes, her cynical but adoring smile. There were no words to express how I was feeling at this moment. I knew Gwen was coming up with a plan, but it was coming along slow. I pushed my hair out of my forehead, only for it to flop back down again. My eyes traveled around the room until I saw a piece of paper.

I picked it up, and I saw it was manuscript paper. There was music written on it, for piano. in the top right hand corner of the paper, I saw the small words: "_Written by Eileen Carter." _Heart rate speeding up, I rushed over to the recording studio-to a piano.


	30. Chapter 30

_*One Week Later*  
_As usual, I was sitting lethargically on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It was silent-I didn't even have the music on. I just lay there like I was dead, shutting out the entire world. The only movement in the room was the ceiling fan, which was spinning fast enough to just blow my fringe to one side, gently. I had been at Charlie's house for almost two weeks, and I was bored to tears. Ever since Charlie found out that I ran in to the shooter at the record store, he was holding me captive inside, not letting me out for anything.

I tried to sit up, but some gravitational force (called laziness) was holding me down. If Charlie kept me in any longer, I would turn into a semi-solid glob of something. Plus, I had no idea how I was going to escape from here if I was being guarded. I couldn't risk trying anything, because I had a strange suspicion that Charlie planted microscopic cameras all around my room.

The space around me began to blur, and I found myself drifting off. My heavy eyelids drooped, and my eyes were closed. My senses faded, and I was soon asleep.

_I was sitting in the living room with Charlie and Jerri. All three of us were sitting on the couch. Charlie was fumbling with something in his pocket, looking nervous, and Jerri was, as usual, smiling at nothing. Charlie looked over at me, still fumbling. He opened his mouth to speak:_

_"Should I ask her?"_

_"Ask her what?" I asked. Charlie did not reply. Instead, he got up off the couch and grabbed Jerri by the hand, standing her up._

_"Charlie, what?-" Jerri began, but Charlie, still holding Jerri's hand, got down on one knee. Oh God, I thought. This can't be happening. Charlie, my brother, proposing to Jerri Dunn? Of all the things to happen!  
_

_"Jerri," said Charlie, looking up into Jerri's hazel eyes. "You know I love you more than anything-"  
_

_"Not more than me," I whispered, but Charlie didn't hear me._

_"-and you're the one I want to be with all my life," he continued. "Jerri Annamaria Dunn-love of my life, will you marry me?" He pulled a small box out of his pocket, and when he opened it up, I saw a diamond ring inside._

_"No!" I shouted, but they didn't hear me._

_"Yes!" exclaimed Jerri. Charlie grinned ear to ear as he placed the engagement ring around Jerri's ring finger. Jerri glanced over at me, and I saw a glint in her eye. It looked mischievous, kaniving, scheming._

_"Don't do it!" I shouted again, but it seemed like there was a glass screen in-between me and the happy couple. I saw something suspicious in the way Jerri was looking at me. As Charlie pulled her into a kiss, I saw her dig in the front pocket of her dress. Whatever she took out, she pressed against his chest as he kissed her. I froze. It was a gun. "NO!" I screamed, but Jerri pulled back the trigger, and there was a loud bang. Charlie flew back, blood gushing from his chest. He didn't even cry out; he just fell down, lifeless, bullet in his heart._

_"Charlie!" I shouted, rushing towards his body. I checked for a pulse, but it was too late for him. Tears flowing from my eyes, I rounded on Jerri. "How could you?" I screamed._

_"Don't ask questions," said Jerri with a sly little smirk on her face. She raised her gun again, and I saw fresh blood on the barrel. "Just sit back and watch." She aimed the gun at me and pulled the trigger. BANG!_

I awoke with a yell of "No!" I found myself in my bed, sweat-soaked, the covers all over the place. I was breathing hard and my heart was racing. I ran into the bathroom. I saw in the mirror my hair was stuck to my face from my sweat, and I was shaking. I decided to take a shower to freshen up. I stripped off my wet clothes and stepped into the shower, turning the water on.

The warm water felt good on my cold skin, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about my dream. Jerri, shooting Charlie, after he proposed to her. What did it mean? Did it mean that Jerri was the shooter? My mind quickly eliminated that one. If Jerri really was the shooter, she'd have already killed me by now. Plus, the man who killed my mum seemed more likely because, however cruel it was, had some sort of rationale behind it. But whatever that dream meant, it was scary.

After about five minutes, I turned the water off and changed into fresh clothes. I dried my hair, brushed it, and went out into the living room.

Seeing Jerri sitting there made me nervous, but it was just a dream. There was nothing to be afraid of. I went over to the couch and sat next to Charlie.

"What's wrong, Eileen?" asked Charlie. "I heard you yelling in your room."

"Oh," I said. "I just fell asleep and had a bad dream."

"What was it about?" asked Jerri. I felt my stomach drop. Should I tell her?

"I really don't remember," I said.

"Oh," said Jerri, sounding disappointed.

"So, Eileen, do you want to watch a movie in today?" asked Charlie, quickly changing the subject. I was glad. It was starting to get awkward.

I shrugged. "Sure," I said. Charlie got up to look for a movie. Jerri took this time to talk to me.

She turned to me. "Eileen, you know you can tell me anything."

"Jerri, I don't remember the dream," I said.

"Are you sure?" asked Jerri. "Why are you being so defensive?"

"I'm not being defensive," I said, clenching my teeth. "I just don't remember the dream." Why did she want to know what my dream was so badly? I started to get suspicious.

"All right, Eileen," said Jerri with a sigh. "But if you suddenly remember, please tell me. I'm _dying _to hear about it." She left it at that. Charlie came back with a copy of "Cleopatra" to watch, and all conversation of the dream ended, although I didn't think that anyone forgot about it.

_*Gwen's P.O.V.*  
_I read through my plans one more time. I was sure that it was going to work like a charm, but I wanted to double-check. Maybe it was quintuplet-check...I looked over them a lot of times. When I was absolutely happy with everything, I stepped out to the main room.

"Okay, guys, I've got it," I said briskly as I sat down on the couch.

"Really?" asked Ringo, sitting down next to me. The millions of cocoons inside my stomach burst and now the butterflies fluttered around inside it. Was this how Eileen felt when she was around John? Man, I felt sorry for her.

"Yes sir!" I said, whipping out my papers. "Everyone, come and look!" Everybody clambered around me to read my carefully fabricated plan.

"Um..." said George, looking confused.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Gwen, can you tell it to us orally?" I looked down at my papers. As usual, they were all a bunch of scribbles that only I could read.

"Sure," I said.

"Yeah...she does that," said Pattie.

"Okay," I said, tossing my papers to one side. "Here's the spiel. Gregory is gonna drive all of us to Charlie's house tonight. It's supposed to be rainy then, so that's perfect. We're gonna put Jane out in the rain for a bit-"

"Hey!" said Jane. "Why me?"

"Because," I calmly explained, "Charlie has known me and Pattie for years, and he knows what all The Beatles look like. You're the one he'll least recognize. And you can act."

"But why the rain?" whined Jane.

"I was getting there," I said. "After a minute, Jane'll knock on Charlie's door and when Charlie answers, he'll feel so bad that a poor, pretty, young girl like Jane is standing all alone out in the rain, that he'll let her in!"

"He better not try anything with her," muttered Paul, clutching Jane protectively.

"Oh, he won't," said John. "He's with that Jerri bird, remember?"

"That didn't stop Paul with Eileen," I said under my breath. I froze because I thought Paul heard me, but he didn't.

"So, what's that supposed to accomplish?" asked Ringo.

"Well," I said rubbing my hands together with anticipation. "Since Charlie will be busy at the door helping Jane in, that'll give John the freedom to knock on Eileen's bedroom window and pull her out through there"

"Great!" said John.

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Paul.

"Gear!" shouted George.

"Bloody brilliant!" yelled Ringo.

"Terrific!" said an excited Pattie.

"Is it just me, or does it seem that every time I do something with or for Eileen, I always get caught in the rain?" said Jane, grinning. "Great plan, by the way, Gwen."

"Aw, don't mention it, guys," I said swatting my hand. "We gotta get ready, I told Gregory that we'd be all set by 8:30 tonight."

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*  
_I heard the low roll of thunder. It was going to rain soon, I could feel it. I sighed and laid back on my bed again. I was doing a lot of that lately, I noticed. There was nothing else to do. A soft, cool breeze came in through my open window, blowing the curtains. I went up to close it so when it rained, I would stay dry. I had pretty much given up hope of Gwen's plan. I had to get used to staying here for the rest of my life.

I bit my lip to stop the tears that welled up in my eyes every time I thought of John. I had to let him go to get on with my life, but it was useless. I just couldn't, especially when he was in the papers every day. One tear slid down my cheek, and I let the others free. What else was there to do?

_*John's P.O.V.*  
_"Okay, guys, let's go," hissed Gwen as we all crunched into Gregory's cab. I couldn't believe that we were going to rescue Eileen, finally! I was so excited, I could barely contain myself.

"Geez John, calm down," said Paul as I sat down in the seat next to him, jittering about. "Save it for Eileen."

"Oh, can it McCartney, I haven't been happy for a long time," I said.

"John's right, Paul," said Ringo. "Let him have his good mood."

"Yeah, they're a lot better than his bad moods," said George. Normally, I would've said something rude back, but not tonight.

"You must be Miss Stanley," said Gregory as Gwen sat up front next to him.

"Yes sir," she said.

"Great," said Gregory. "Where did ya say ye wanted to go again?"

Gwen gave Gregory directions, and we were off. Off to Eileen, my love.

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*  
_It was raining hard now. Thick drops of water pounded on my window so hard that I thought the glass would break, and the wind howled loudly. I was surprised that I heard a knock on the front door. Curious, I peeked through my door to the living room to see who it was.  
Charlie rushed to the door and opened it. The girl standing in the door way was a young girl, about eighteen, that was drenched head to toe. Her long, red hair was heavy with rain, and she wore a forest green cap on her head. I gasped. It was Jane.

"Oh my God," said Charlie, grabbing a blanket from the couch and swinging it around her. "Here, come in!"

"Thank you, sir," said Jane, shivering. I could tell that she wasn't putting on too much of an act this time. She was shaking and shivering like mad. But why was she here? Was it Gwen's plan?"

"Don't mention it," said Charlie. "What's your name?"

"Jane," said Jane. "And yours?"

"Charlie," said Charlie. Before I could hear any more, there was a loud clap of thunder followed by a tap on my window.

I turned around slowly and crept to my window. I had to be very careful now. I looked through the rain outside, and I saw somebody drenched standing at my window. I squinted a bit, and I saw clearly the person outside.

It was John.

He tapped on my window one more time and raised his eyebrows. Typical John. My heart was beating fast and my head was spinning. I felt like I was drunk, but in a good way. A huge smile breaking across my face, I quickly opened the window to let John in.

"John-!" I shouted, but he shushed me.

"Shh, Eileen, you have to be quiet," said John. "You don't want Charlie the Big Bad Wolf to get to you."

"Oh, okay," I said. I helped him up through the window and into my room.

"Geez, Eileen, what kind of a dump did your brother put you in?" said John, looking around disapprovingly.

"The den," I said flatly. I looked up at John, who was soaking wet. His mop of hair was sticking to his forehead, and his horn-rimmed glasses were covered in droplets of water. His clothes were drenched, and he was shivering like Jane.

"What?" he asked, grinning.

"Oh, John, I'm so glad you're here!" I said. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Eileen," said John, embracing me. The hug lasted for a while. I didn't care that he was getting me all wet, all that mattered was that he and I were together again. Not even Charlie walking in here would ruin the moment.

"Um, Eileen, we better get going," said John.

"Oh, right," I said, pulling away from him. "How's Jane gonna get out?"

"Like this!" I heard a voice hiss from below the window. Jane was standing outside in the rain under an umbrella. "Hurry up before I catch something!"

"Right there!" called John. "Come on, Eileen." He held out his hand and I took it. He looked both ways, and then he carefully led me out the window, and into the rain outside. I was free.

"Ha!" I shouted as soon as John and I were at the cab.

"Shhh," said John, laughing. "You don't want to get caught!" We both started laughing again.

"Eileen!" said Gwen, running at me full speed.

"Gwen!" I said, hugging her. "I was beginning to think that you gave up on me!"

"Nonsense, I would never give up on you," said Gwen. "It just took me a while to think of a plan that was good enough for you."

"And boy did it work," said Paul, walking up to me. "Welcome back, Eileen."

"Guys, I really think we should get in the cab," said Pattie, who was sitting inside. "We don't want Eileen to get sick or anything." She gave a small smile.

"I missed you too, Pattie," I said, going into the cab and hugging her also.

"Let's run, Gregory," said Ringo. "If Charlie finds that his sister's missing, he'll kill all of us."

"Right," said Gregory. "It's good to have ye back, Miss Carter."

"It's good to be back Gregory," I said. Once everyone was crammed inside the car, Gregory drove off. A shivering Jane sighed in the backseat.

"You all right, Miss Asher?" asked Gregory.

"Yeah," she said. "But I'm thinking that I should think twice before helping Eileen again, on account of staying out of the rain." We all had a good laugh about that, because it was true. I was so happy to be back where I belonged, with my friends, and with John, the one man I would always love.

"Hey," I said. "Does this mean I'll still be able to go on tour with you?" I asked.

"Of course, Eileen," said John, looking down on me with all the love he could possible gather in his eyes. I smiled back. It was good to be home.


	31. Chapter 31

"I'm so glad to be back!" I exclaimed as I fell down on the couch of the hotel room.

"I bet you are," said Jane, who was sitting next to me, wearing a blanket and sipping hot tea. "Heaven knows I am."

"Oh, thank you, Jane!" I said breathlessly.

"Seriously, Eileen, you have no idea how dull it was around here with you gone," said Paul, walking over to Jane.

"I can only imagine!" I said. "I thank you, Tarzan!" I went into a fit of giggles.

"Uh...Tarzan?" asked Paul, looking pretty thrown-off. "Why am I all of the sudden Tarzan?"

"Well, your girl's Jane, isn't she?" I said again, still laughing.

"Yeah..." said Paul, still looking at me like I belonged in a psychiatric ward or worse.

"Oh yes," piped up Jane, holding Paul. "He's my little monkey-man."

I gave a loud bark of laughter. Ringo smirked at me. "Eileen, did your brother get you drunk or something? You've gone potty."

"No!" I exclaimed once again, throwing my head back. "You all got me drunk!"

George raised an eyebrow. "Did we?" he asked. "I don't remember at all. If that's the case, then I must have been pretty drunk meself."

"Not drunk off drinking," I said. "Drunk off life!" I sprawled out across the couch, giggling and grinning ear-to-ear. I didn't care that I was getting looks from everyone in the room. They didn't seem to mind that I was going mad, anyway. Especially Pattie and Gwen, because they were somewhat used to it.

"You must have gone a bit loony being stuck at your brother's," said John.

"Oh, tell me about it!" I said. "After he kept me all cooped up inside, I thought I was going to get hauled off to the loony bin!" I gave another bark of wild laughter.

"Ya sure you didn't get shipped over?" asked Gwen.

"Wait," said Pattie. "Eileen, did you say you were cooped up inside Charlie's house?"

"Oh, yes," I said, sighing. "For days and days! After I ran into that bloody shooter at the record store with Jerri!" I snuggled into a pillow.

"Yeah, Gwen told us about that!" said John, darting towards me. "Did he touch you?"

I giggled. "Well, I'm here, aren't I? Of course he didn't!"

"Eileen, you need to snap out of it," said John, concerned. "Tell me exactly what happened."

I swatted my hand. "Oh, Johnny, can we talk about this later? It's _so_depressing! What is there to tell other than I ran into the lunatic in the record store?"

"Eileen, this is serious," said John firmly, looking into my eyes and gripping my shoulders. "You need to tell this to us, we need to know to keep you safe."

"How's it gonna keep me safe?" I asked, calming down a bit. "And you said Gwen told you? How did she know?"

"Um..." said Gwen playing with her hair. "I was kinds spying on you so I could kidnap you back, but when I saw the shooter, I didn't get you because I didn't want him to follow us."

"Ah, I said.

"So what happened?" asked John. "We only know Gwen's point of view."

"Well," I said, "I was trying to stay as far away from Jerri as possible-"

"What?" asked John sharply. "Why were you so far away from her? You should have stayed by her!"

"Oh, relax, John, can ye blame her?" asked George.

"Well, no, not really," said John. "Okay, sorry Eileen, what else?"

"While I was looking at records that were away from Jerri, this guy came up behind me and asked me how much one record was. I told him I didn't know and he said he thought I worked there," I said. "I looked closer and I recognized him. He said I looked familiar, but I told him that I never saw him before. He asked for my name, and I said I was Jane Lennon. That's about it."

"Smart girl," said John, beaming.

"Love the first name, by the way," said Jane.

"Why do you think he didn't try to get you then?" asked Pattie.

"Maybe it was because there were too many people in the store," I said.

"That's logical," said Ringo. "Besides, you should have seen it coming that way because every time he's tried to get you was in some secluded, dark area."

"That's true," I said. Suddenly, my dream hit me. I thought for a moment if I should say something or not. It wouldn't do much harm, but I didn't want anyone to worry. Especially John; I had put him through too much already. But I remembered the last time I hid something from him and gave in to my thoughts. "Guys, I have to tell you something."

"What's up?" asked Pattie.

"I had this really weird dream the other night at Charlie's," I said.

"Tell us about it," said Paul.

I took a breath. "It went like this..." I went on to tell them every little detail I could remember about the dream. When I finished, everyone in the room had their hand over their smirking mouths.

"What?" I asked.

"Eileen," said Gwen. "You know we all love you-"

"But do you mean to tell us that your dream was saying that Jerri Dunn is the shooter?" finished Ringo.

"I think it's cute you two finish each other's sentences," said Jane.

"But seriously, Jerri?" said John. "Honestly, the bird can't tell the difference between a car and a small child."

"Come on guys," I said. "It was just a dream. I wasn't saying that I thought it was real."

"Yeah, but it's pretty funny," said Pattie.

"Pretty funny?" gawked John. "Are you kidding, Pattie? That's hilarious!"

"Oh, look who's loony now, John!" I said.

"Yeah John, yer over the top now!" said Paul. "You're bloody mad! It's like when you press the little black key on a piano and the white key right next to it at the same time-"

"Wait," said John. "Piano? That reminds me..."

"Of what?" asked Jane. "Geez, I sure missed a lot here."

"Eileen," said John. "Do you know what I found in the room last week?"

"What?" I asked.

"Oh-hold on a sec," said John. He dashed off to his room.

"What do ya think's on his wick?" asked Ringo.

"I dunno, but whatever it is, it sure is amusing," said George. John came back a moment later, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"What's that?" asked Gwen.

"Eileen," said John, ignoring Gwen. "I found this on the floor, and I thought you might want it back." He handed me the paper. I looked at it, and I saw my name in the top right corner. My eyes traveled over the whole of it, and I realized that it was the piano piece that I started writing in my flat weeks ago.

"Oh my God, John," I said. "I had forgotten about this."

"What is it?" asked Gwen for the second time, impatient.

"It's a piano piece I started to write a while ago," I said. "Thanks, John."

"No problem," said John.

"Oh, that piano thing I asked you to play?" asked Ringo. "How did you forget about that?"

"Ringo, think of all that she's been through for the past few weeks and tell us how," said Paul.

"Oh..." said Ringo. "But it's really good!"

"Geez, it's not _that _good!" I said, blushing.

"Yes, Miss Eileen Carter, it is good, and I should know," said John. "I played it myself."

"You did?" I asked. "When?"

"Last week, when I found it," said John. "I really think you should finish it."

"When?" I asked again.

"How bout now?" asked John.

"But there's no piano here," I said.

"That's why there are studios, love," said John.

"So...we're going to a studio now?" I asked.

"John," said Paul. "I really think we shouldn't bring her anywhere right now. You should have this wait till tomorrow."

"I think that's a good idea John," I said. "Tomorrow will be a good day."

"But tomorrow never knows," said Ringo.

"Blimey, Ringo!" said John. "That was your millionth stupid saying yet! I mean, 'a hard day's night,' and then 'tomorrow never knows?' My God!"

"Oh, pipe down!" said Ringo defensively. "A hard day's night turned out to be good! You act like I say something dumb eight days a week!"

"You did it again!" said John, laughing and pointing at Ringo like a little child.

"Oh, I love you guys," I said to myself. Ringo and John were now in a playful argument with a subject of who said the dumbest things, and it sounded like John was winning. Everyone else was either throwing in their two pounds or laughing like mad. I was laughing. I really didn't realize how much I missed everyone until I was back. These people were more like my family than Charlie would ever be, especially if he married Jerri. All of the things I'd been through at Charlie's didn't matter now that I was here where I truly belonged.

"Wait-wasn't it you that said that thing about the guitar string popping because of a strong, subatomic force caused by our records selling?" asked Ringo.

"Oh...yeah, you got me on that..." said John. "But you still said that drumming is like living under the sea in an octopus's garden!"

"Oh, shut up John, I didn't have much time to think about a line!" said Ringo.

"So, Eileen, tomorrow morning, which according to Ringo 'never knows' we're going to the studio, right?" asked John, breaking away from Ringo.

"Yeah," I said through my laughter. "That sounds good."

"Hey, John, I think we got her drunk again," whispered Paul.

"Ah, yes," said John. He put on a falsetto voice. "Hello...my name is Eileen Carter, and I'm an alcoholic off of life."

"Hello, Eileen," chorused everyone.

"Oh, shut up, everybody, you only wish you were like me!" I said.

"Oh, of course," said George. "That way I'd be able to get drunk without hard partying, because heaven knows at my young age, I couldn't handle real alcohol." He finished with a straight face, but everyone cracked up anyway.


	32. Chapter 32

"John, I'm really not sure what you want me to do with that song, anyway," I said as I brushed my hair that morning. John was bringing me to the studio to finish up and possibly record my little barely-one-minute-long piano piece.

"We'll just look at it and see," said John, pacing the room looking at my music. "You never know-it could be something."

"What _is _something nowadays," I said, tying my hair back into a ponytail. "I just wrote that thing cause I was bored."

"I write some songs when I'm bored, and look what they turn out to be," said John. "You know 'I'll Get You,' right?"

"Yeah," I said.  
"I was bored," said John, finally stopping his pacing seeing that I was ready. "Let's get going. I want to get out early before people start recognizing us."

"Good plan," I said, turning away from the mirror. "We should get out of here."

John held the door open for me as we walked out of the room and into the hallway of the hotel. "So, this is the same studio where you guys recorded that other song before, right?" I asked.

"Yep," said John, leading me out of the hotel. "Abbey Road Studios. Best studio around, if you ask me." Carefully, we walked out into the front parking lot, a sight very foreign to both of us, and to John's waiting car.

"How did you manage to get a parking spot out here, John?" I asked.

"Oh, I had Brian park it here," said John. "No one really recognizes him. At least the people that come here don't." John unlocked the car and opened my door for me.

"Thanks," I said as I climbed in. It felt good to be in a car with just one other person for once. Charlie barely drove me anywhere when I was at his place, and when he did, it was always with Jerri. When I was with the guys and Pattie and Gwen, we were all crammed in one car together. This was a good change.

John got into the drivers' sear and started the engine. "You got the music, Eileen?"

"Yep," I said, pointing to the middle compartment where the sheet was resting. I picked it up and glanced over it, wondering what John was going to do with it. I should trust him when he says it's good, I thought. He is John Lennon, after all.

"Good," said John, backing out of the parking spot. "Here we go!" The drive didn't take very long. In about ten or so minutes, we were pulling into the driveway at the studio. When John parked, he stopped the engine and got out. He walked around to the left side of the car and opened my door for me. I got out and walked with him, clutching my music, to the door of the studio.

"You remember what basically goes on in a recording studio, right Eileen?" asked John.

I shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much," I said. "Play music, do a lot of takes, and dodge instruments thrown by frustrated musicians."

John laughed. Whenever I saw him smile, it made my heart leap. I knew he felt the same way about me that I felt about him because of what Paul told me, but I wasn't sure if he knew what I knew. "Yeah, that's pretty much it!" He opened the door after smoothing his hair, and we walked in.

"Hey, Mr. Lennon!" called George Martin from the desk up front. "What brings you here?"

"Miss Eileen Carter has something she'd like to work on and record," said John, gesturing to me. I smiled sheepishly, biting my lip.

"Ah, Miss Carter," said George Martin, walking up to me. "I remember you." He held out his hand to me, and I shook it.

"It's very nice to see you again Mr. Martin," I said politely.

"So," said George. "What was it that you wanted to record for us?"

"Um..." I said nervously. "Just a little diddy I wrote for the piano. Nothing special."

"Oh, it's great!" said John. "It's just a little short. If we can add more to it, it'll be fab!"

"I'd really like to hear it," said George, grinning. "Why don't you two come into this room." John and I followed George into the second room on the right. It was a small room with padded walls to hold in sound and a large Grand Piano in the center. "Go right ahead Miss Carter," said George, nodding his head to the piano. I half-smiled shyly, and went over to the stool.

I sat down at the piano, put my sheet music on the stand, and readied my fingers on the keys.

"Ready?" asked John.

I took a deep breath and started to play.

I hadn't played the song in a while, but the melody came back to me like I had just played it yesterday. Both my hands moved quickly about the black and white keys, pounding out the notes softly. I was done in about a minute, since it was so short. When I was finished, I sat back and waited for comments.

"Not bad, Miss Carter, not bad," said George.

"Told ya," said John, elbowing George. I felt myself blush.

"Do you have any more?" asked George.

"Well...not at the moment," I said. "I was...delayed." John darkened at the thought. He did not like that Charlie took me away at all, even now after it was all done.

"You have time now, don't you?" asked George.

'I guess so," I said.

"Then I'll leave you and John in the room, and hopefully you can come up with more!" said George cheerfully. "That _is _a good idea, right?"

"Of course it is, Georgie M.!" said John, grabbing me. "Eileen and I are as close to each other as the hairs on our head!"

"All right then..." said George, a little taken aback. "I'll see you two in a bit. Call me over when you're done."

"Sure thing!" called John as George walked out of the room. John turned to me. "Hey, Eileen, do you mind if I take the piano over for a sec?"

I shrugged. "S'all right with me," I said, scooting over on the stool so John could sit down. John sat next to me, and his leg brushed mine. It was enclosed in his pants, but it sent shivers down my spine when he touched me. John began playing some basic chords and a melody. It was a pretty ballad, I could tell. It didn't sound like he'd been working on it for a long time, but I could tell it would be a great song one day. Of course, everything John Lennon would write would turn into a great song. "What was that?" I asked once he was done.

"Oh, that was just a little something I've been working on," said John, hitting random keys on the Grand. "I only have chords and melody. The lyrics are in the making, and I don't have harmonies or even a song title yet."

"I'm sure all that'll come," I said. "Is Paul helping you out?"

"A little, but it's mostly been me," said John. "Sometimes I like it when it's only me writing. I love working with Paul, don't get me wrong, but working by myself gives me a sort of creative freedom."

"I know what you mean," I said. "No one can tell you that they don't like a certain part of the song. It's all you."

"Exactly," said John.

"I thought it was really nice, by the way," I said.

John chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Thanks, Eileen."

I giggled like a schoolgirl. "Okay, on to my stuff now!" I said, jokingly knocking John off the seat. He laughed and sat back down on the corner so I could be in the center of the piano. Surprisingly, I actually got a few more measures of music done. As I was playing back what I had so far, which still wasn't very long, John stopped me.

"Eileen, stop for a sec," he said. "I wanna try something." He started playing the chords to his new song. "Come in with your thing when this repeats again." I did as I was told. As soon as the verse started up again, I started to play my mini-song. I was surprised that my melody fitted perfectly with his chords. Come to think of it, it was kind of spooky.  
"That was pretty cool," I said when it was all done.

"Some parts sounded a teeny bit off," said John. "I think we can fix that."

"Fix it?" I asked. "Why?"

"Because, Eileen Carter," said John, looking firmly into my eyes. "I intend to use that little bit of yours in my song."

I was speechless. How could this happen to me of all people? John Lennon, famous Beatle, wanted to use my stupid little mess of notes in his new, beautiful song. This was a dream come true!

"You know you can say something, love, the suspense is killing me," said John, straight-faced. He looked so serious that I burst into laughter.

"Oh, John!" I said through giggles. "This is great! But why my piece? Why not write something yourself or have Paul do something?"

"Because I like what you did," said John. "It fits. Now come on, we've got to alter some chords for this part so we can play it for Georgie M." And there it was. Me, Eileen Carter, model, was going to have a part in a great Lennon/McCartney composition. I was shocked I was able to play due to the fact that my fingers were practically numb from excitement and nerves. It didn't take long to change the chords; only a few chords needed to be changed, and not drastically. I didn't hear John call George in-I was probably too numb in places other than my fingers. I took a deep breath as George Martin walked in.

"Well," said George. "What do you have, Miss Carter?"

"I think you'll be impressed," said John. He grinned at me and we started to play. John started off with his chords and melody, so I had some time to condition to this new feeling. When it was my turn to come in, my fingers went on autopilot. I heard my heard pounding in my ears like the drums that would soon be put in the song as my little melody flowed along so easily to John's chords. Soon, it was done, and John and I sat back in our seat, waiting for George to say something.

He didn't.

All he did was sit there, staring at the two of us like we were animals in the zoo. His mouth gaped and gulped like a fish out of water, and his eyes were wide. A smile began to form on his face, and then a big, booming laugh that I would have sooner heard from someone like Gregory.

"Guys, that was _excellent!"_he shouted, clapping John and me on our backs.

"Glad ye liked it, Georgie M.," said John.

"Eileen, did John give you any help on that part of yours?" asked George.

"No," I said. "That was all mine."

"John," said George. 'You absolutely _have_to put lyrics to that, and get the other boys in on it as soon as possible."

"Can do, sir," said John.

"As soon as you do, we can commence recording on it," said George.

"That sounds great," I said.

"Of course it does, Miss Carter," said George. "I'm telling you, Mr. Lennon, you really found a good one."

"Oh, boy did I," said John, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "She sure is a winner." He smiled at me, and I knew that I had won something.


	33. Chapter 33

All the way back to the hotel, I was humming John's new song. It was a nice, catchy tune even though it was a slow tempo, but then so was every ballad that John or Paul wrote.

"So, Eileen," said John as we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. "I can see that you liked it?"

"Hell yeah," I said. "I like everything that you write!"

"Well, that's good to know," said John, parking. "At least you don't let your hormones loose at all of us all over the place like most birds."  
I snorted. _You don't know the half of it, John.__  
_

"What's so funny?" asked John, looking at me suspiciously. I caught myself just in time.

"Oh, I was just thinking," I said.

"About what?" asked John, getting out of the car. He opened my door once he was over on my side.

"About this whole thing," I said, climbing out of the car to go walk with John. "Even when I met you all, I never thought that I'd actually write a song with you like this. I mean, this is not just every girl's dream, this is _everybody's _dream, and now I'm living it, and everything's just great, and gear, and my brain's going loopy from just the very thought of it, and I just can't stop thinking about it it's just like a dream come true and I really hope I never wake up, cause that would really really suck, and-"

"Geez, Eileen, breathe!" said John, laughing.

"Oh," I said, going red. "I was rambling, wasn't I?"

"Yes, very much," said John.

"Oops..." I said.

"Nah, not 'oops'," said John. "I'm actually flattered that you think so highly of it. I'm a little excited too. This is pretty much the first time in quite a while that I've worked with anyone except for Paul."

"Really?" I asked. "That's nice."

"Yeah, it is," said John. We were at the door to our room now, and John took out his key to unlock the door. We found Gwen slumped on the couch, Pattie engaged in conversation with Ringo, and George, Paul, and Jane reading the newspaper comics.

"Hey guys, ya miss me?" asked John loudly. I smiled. Typical John.

"Oh, sure we did," said Paul, not looking up from the paper. "It was too bloody quiet."

"Even with Gwen around?" I asked.

"I think I've run out of steam," said Gwen, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"We all think Hell froze over," said Pattie. "Maybe her brain fried with all those rescue plans."

"Yeah, it's all your fault, Eileen," said Ringo.

"Maybe it's a good thing," said George, eyes frozen to the comics.

"Aw shut up, all of you," said Gwen, sitting up on the couch. Her hair was all over the place and her cheeks were flushed. "I _can _get loud again."

"Well, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," said Jane, actually looking up from the paper. "It did get a tad bit boring."

"We _did _ask you to improvise a skit for us, Jane," said Paul.

"But it would've been just me!" said Jane. "No one else here can act!"

"But we were in a movie!" said Paul.

"Oh, wow, boy did I forget!" said Jane sarcastically. "I'm ever so sorry that I passed up your great acting talents! Why don't you show us a little something then Paulie?"

Paul bit his lip. "On second thought, let's not," he said.

"But you _were _in a movie," said Jane, winking.

"Why don't we do something?" I asked.

"Like what?" asked Pattie.

"Oh, I know!" said John, jumping up and down.

"What?" asked Pattie.

"Spin the Bottle!" exclaimed John, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Spin the Bottle?" I asked nervously. The last time I played that game was in grade school when I was thirteen, and I had to kiss the ugliest, smelliest guy there-Kirk. I was young and naive though, so he became my first boyfriend after that. Not that I would mind kissing any of the guys here (although George was Pattie's, Ringo was on the right track to being Gwen's, Paul was Jane's and my ex-boyfriend, and kissing John like this in front of all these people would be awkward), it would just bring back bad memories.

"Yeah," said John.

"But we don't even have a bottle," I said quickly.

"We will in a second," said John. He went over to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of beer.

"Oh, now you've done it, Eileen," said Ringo.

John popped off the lid. "Bottoms up!" he said right before he gulped the whole thing down. He set the empty bottle on the island. "There, now we have our bottle."

"Oh...okay," I said.

Aw, come on Eileen, it'll be fun!" said Gwen, suddenly awake. "Just like grade school," she finished with a wink. Pattie tittered.

I groaned under my breath as I went to sit in the circle everyone was in. God damn you, Kirk.

"Okay, we all set?" said John.

"Yep!" said Paul, sitting next to Jane with his arm around her.

"Paul, yer gonna have to move Jane," said John. "We need to have the girls mixed around."

Jane smirked and shrugged as she got up to sit by George. I looked around the circle and saw Pattie next to John and Gwen by Paul. I was next to Ringo. He gave me a quick grin and gave a fleeting look in Gwen's direction. I grinned back, giving Ringo a silent good luck wish that his spin would end up on Gwen.

"Okay, first spin!" said John, taking the bottle. "Remember, the blokes are the spinners. Who's first?"

"I think the youngest should go first," said Paul, looking in George's direction. George smirked that adorable smirk and reached for the bottle. He spun it, and it landed right on Pattie.

"Oh, surprise, surprise," said Ringo as George leaned toward Pattie to give her a light peck on the lips that soon turned into a full-on makeout session.

"Ok, guys, get a room, honestly!" said Gwen, hiding her face in her hair.

"Huh?" grunted Pattie, pulling away from George with a slightly dazed look on her face.

"Next!" said John. "Paulie, why don't you go?"

"Gotcha," said Paul, spinning the bottle. My heart hammered as it looked like it was going to stop on me, but it didn't. It stopped on Ringo, who had a disgusted look on his face.

"Aw, hell no!" he shouted, pointing at the bottle. "That ain't right! Make him spin it again!"

"Come on, Rich, you know the rules!" said Paul. "Pucker up!" Paul made a kissy-face as Jane dissolved into giggles.

"No!" said Ringo. "Look, there are many things that I'd do for you, but not _that! _That's where I draw the line!"

"And what exactly _are_these things you'd do for him, eh?" asked George with raised eyebrows.

"Shut up," said Ringo.

Paul sighed. "Okay, okay, Ringo, if ye want me to give the bottle a second spin, I will." He reached passed a relieved-looking Ringo and spun the bottle again, which landed on Jane.

"Oh, for God's sake!" cried Gwen as Paul lunged forward at Jane and kissed her. "Can't the bloody bottle land on someone other than the girl the guy's already with? This is getting boring!"

"Why?" asked Paul, pulling away from a grinning Jane. "Did you want a kiss too?"

"Geez Paul, you want to kiss every bleeding girl in the circle, don't you?" I said.

Paul swatted his hand. "Nah, bleeding girls are grumpy," he said. "They'd probably kill me."

"Oh, come on Paul!" I said.

"But...I'm not a girl," said Ringo, confused.

"That's what you think," said Paul, leaving Ringo even more thrown-off.

"Let's just get on with this," said John. He reached into the center of the circle and placed his hand on the bottle. My heart jumped. What if the bottle landed on me? I haven't kissed him in ages, and even though I knew how he felt about me, it would be awkward to kiss him around everybody like this. John spun the bottle. It was all in slow motion from then. I watched the bottle spin and spin, all around the circle. John gave it a good spin-it took a while before it started to slow down.

Then came the moment of truth.

Finally, the bottle slowed, and it was as if it was deciding which girl to land on. The slower it got, the more my head spun. As much as I wanted it to stop at me, I was dreading it. I must have been out in space when it finally stopped, because I heard a multitude of catcalls and whistles and shouts of, "Yeah! Kiss 'er!"

My eyes were closed at this point, and I opened them to an astounding site.

The bottle was on Pattie.

I felt disappointment flood me, but I didn't let it show. It was a slightly funny site. Pattie was beet-red, her blue eyes wide and fixated on the bottle, every now and then glancing up at John, and even at me a few times, as if she could read my mind. But I did not laugh. I was mortified that my best friend was going to kiss the man I loved.

Pattie looked over at George, who looked in between amused and jealous. Pattie looked back at John, bit her lip, and leaned forward with John. It was a quick peck on the lips, but It left me depressed. Pattie gave me an apologetic look as she sat back.

"You okay, Eileen?" asked Ringo, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine."

Ringo nodded and took the bottle. "Well, here we go," he said.

"Good luck," I said to him. He smiled and spun the bottle lightly. Even though it was light, it went out of control almost immediately, going berserk around the circle, hitting everybody. With all the screams and laughter, it was hard to tell who the bottle was going to land on. Until I heard a very familiar shriek. We all looked up to see, rubbing her knee where she had been hit, Gwen, with the bottle pointing right at her, looking shocked.


	34. Chapter 34

At first, Gwen didn't notice the bottle pointing at her. She only noticed the apparent sharp pain in her knee the bottle gave her. "Geez, Ringo, did you have to spin the thing so bloody hard?" she asked.

"Um...Gwen," I said, because Ringo wouldn't say anything.

"I mean, that was _painful!"_Gwen whined again. "Seriously, the point of the game is to-"  
"Gwen!" the whole circle except Ringo and Gwen shouted.

Gwen perked up and stopped moaning. "Yes?"

"Look at the blasted bottle and get a move on with the game!" said John, annoyed, yet somehow amused.

Gwen looked down and saw the neck of the glass bottle facing her. She blinked once, bit her lip, and still looking down, she said, "Well...I feel rather stupid...this is kind of awkward..."

Ringo shrugged. "It could be worse."

"No, no, I'm not saying that it's bad-"

"Shut up and kiss!" shouted Paul. "You know, Ringo, you should've kissed me; I'm not too bad."

"Aw, you shut up," said Ringo. He glanced back over at Gwen, who was now toying with one of her curls uncertainty. She looked up at Ringo, her brown eyes big and rid of the usual mischievous gleam that was there nearly twenty-four-seven.

"I suppose we should do it, then," she said in a very misty, un-Gwenish voice that sounded more like me or Pattie.

"Yeah," said Ringo quietly, his blue eyes looking more puppy-doggish than usual. "Yeah, we sort of have to." Ever so slowly, he leaned in closer to Gwen, Gwen leaned in, too, closing her eyes slightly, biting her lip, breathing shallow, shaky breaths. Ringo reached out his hand to cup her face, and he closed his eyes, although it didn't seem like he wanted to; he didn't seem as if he was willing to take his gaze off Gwen's face, which was now turning an impressive shade of red. The closer they got, the more electric the air got between them. Gwen opened up her eyes again and blinked-not a flirtatious flutter of eyelashes, but a confused, nervous sort of blink. She closed her eyes again as they moved in closer...

"Oh, for God's sake, kiss already!" shouted Jane, breaking the silence suddenly.

Everyone in the circle jumped at the unexpected comment. Jane received a nudge from Paul across the circle. Without warning, Ringo seized Gwen, who squeaked in surprise, and planted a full kiss on her lips.

It was a rather long kiss, as if the two had been eyeing each other from the very beginning (which I knew they were). Ringo raked his fingers through Gwen's hair and Gwen took off the hat Ringo was wearing and threw it to the side. Well, at least she was a little more like Gwen again. After a moment, they let go of each other and sat back down in their spots, looking a bit dazed.

"Geez, Ringo," said John. "Never thought you had it in you."

"Well, obviously he did," I said. "_Great job, Gwen,"_I mouthed to her from across the circle. Gwen smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Should we continue, then?" asked George.

"Let's," said Pattie, tossing him the bottle, which George barely caught.

"Gah! This is starting to become 'Attack of the Killer Bottle," said George.

"I just hope you can spin it better than Ringo," said Gwen, looking nonchalantly out the window.

"Hey!" said Ringo, taken by surprise at Gwen's sudden change of personality. Gwen said nothing back, but continued to gaze outside.  
The game went on for a few more minutes, but I still didn't get a kiss from John (but I did have to share a rather awkward kiss with Paul, which got me a raised-eyebrow and smirk look from Jane, who had not forgotten that Paul was technically my ex-boyfriend even though he was dating her first). When the game was over, I retreated to my room.

I sat on the bed and looked out the window like Gwen had done, except I was down, and not happy like her. I know it was schoolgirlish, but I was upset that I didn't end up kissing John and Pattie did.

After a few moments, I heard the door slowly creak open. I looked over and I saw Pattie's blonde head peeking in. "Can I come in, Eileen?" she asked.

"Sure," I said.

Pattie came over to sit on the bed beside me. "I just want to say sorry for that whole thing with John," she said, looking as if I was about to sentence her to Death Row.

I snorted and waved my hand. "Oh, that's fine, Pat," I said. "You really don't need to be sorry."

"Oh," said Pattie. "But, wasn't that why you were all sulky-looking back there?"

I frowned. "I was sulky-looking?" I asked. "Well, if I was, it wasn't because you kissed him; it was because I didn't kiss him."

Pattie smiled, looking relieved. "Okay then. I'm glad it wasn't anything I did."

"I'm glad too," I said. "I don't know what I'd do if I were mad at my best friend. Oh, did you _see_the look on Gwen's face when she realized the bottle was on her?"

"Ha!" exclaimed Pattie. "Yes! She looked like a surprised tomato! Priceless!"

"And Ringo, too," I added.  
"Yeah," said Pattie. "I'm so happy for Gwen; her and Ringo will be great. I just hope she ends it with her boyfriend before something about her and Ringo gets out."

"Yeah, I hope so," I said. I got somber again. "You know, Pattie, it seems like everyone around here is getting their Happily Ever After but me. I mean, I thought I had it with Paul way back when, but then it turned out he had his with Jane, and then came John, but I still don't know what the hell is going on with him."

"Oh, cheer up Eileen," said Pattie, putting her hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "You and John will work out-I promise."

"Thanks, Pattie," I said, putting my hand where hers was. "I just hope your promise is enough. Are you gonna get Gwen to formulate another plan?"

Pattie guffawed. "Nah, she's still drained from the last big shenanigan, remember?"

"Oh, right," I said. "That one!" We both shared a good, long laugh over that.

"Well," said Pattie. "I guess I'll leave you alone now. Don't hurt yourself."

I chuckled. "I won't," I said. Pattie smiled one more time before she went to leave. Then it hit me.

"Wait!" I called, holding my hand out.

Pattie turned from the door. "Hm?"

"How was it?" I asked, grinning.

"How was what?" asked Pattie.

"Oh, you know," I said. "The kiss?"

"Oh!" said Pattie, going red. "That."

"Yes, that, how was it?"

"It was alright, but I'm sure it was like nothing compared to the few times he kissed you," said Pattie with a wry smile.

"I'm quite sure," I said with an identical expression.

"How was Paul?" asked Pattie.

"Heh," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Not quite as bad as Kirk."

"Oh, you mean it lacked the luster that it did in the before time?" said Pattie overly-dramatic, obviously mocking Jane.

"I don't think there was ever any 'luster', Pat," I said. "And why are you being so mean to Jane? She didn't do anything, it was all Paul."

"I wasn't being mean to her," said Pattie. "I do like her, but I think the way she talks is funny."

"She's an actress," I said. "You're a model-she probably thinks you walk funny."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Pattie. "I'll go and leave now."

"Alright," I said. Pattie walked out the door this time, and I leaned back on my bed. I was glad to see that all the paint on the ceiling was intact, unlike the den in Charlie's house. I was just zoning out when I heard another knock on my door. "Come in," I said.

I was expecting to see Gwen, jumping for joy, dash into the room, but instead I saw Ringo, grinning happily, casually walk inside. He sat down next to me on the bed and sighed.

"So," I said. "You look especially happy."

"Oh, yes," said Ringo, turning his blue gaze on me. "I wasn't sure how it would go at first, but boy was it worth it!"

"I'm sure it was," I said. "I have to say, Gwen's face was a winner."

"Ha!" said Ringo.

"And so was yours," I added quickly.

"Ah..." said Ringo again.

"I think you'll be great together," I said. "Gwen's great. A little eccentric, but great nonetheless."

"Yeah, she is," said Ringo dreamily. "Who ever thought a girl like her would like the drummer. She seems more like a guitar type bird."

"But Pattie already has that," I said.

"True," said Ringo. "She kissed both of them today."

My face fell.

"Oh, sorry," said Ringo. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," I said. "It's not Pattie or anything, it's just that-"

"That you love John a lot and it hurt to see one of your best friends kissing him, even if it was all in some stupid game," Ringo finished.

"Uh...yeah," I said in surprise. "Ringo, I never knew you were so deep!"

"I try," said Ringo shrugging. "Just cause I don't write songs doesn't mean that I can't come up with good stuff." Outside, we heard a knock on the front door. Both of us stopped talking to listen. We didn't hear the door open, but we did hear someone tripping over their feet frantically trying to run from it. The tripper, John, burst through the door, looking urgent.

"What's the matter?" I asked, standing up.

"Charlie's at the door," said John sharply.

"Oh no," I said, putting my hand to my mouth. "I should've known that he'd come looking for me sooner or later. What do we do?"

"We can't let him take you again," said Ringo.

"No, we can't," said John. "I'm going to let him in so it doesn't seem suspicious."

"What about Eileen?" asked Ringo.

"Eileen," said John, turning to me. "You hide in the closet till we get him out of here." He put both of his hands on my shoulders and gripped them tight, looking into my eyes with an urgent care. "I won't lose you again."

"I'll hide," I said. "But what about Jane?"

"Jane?" asked Ringo.

"Yeah," I said. "She was the one who distracted Charlie the night you guys got me. Charlie'll recognize her for sure! Especially with her hair!"

"That's right," said John. He walked briskly out, bringing in Jane behind him.

"This is bloody nuts," said Jane as we were closed in the closet. It was all dark inside except for the small slits in the door that let in strips of dim light.

"Yes it is, but it's the only way to keep me from getting taken away again," I said.

It was silent for a minute, but then Jane spoke again. "So, you kissed Paul again?"

"Oh, shut up," I said.

"Okay, okay," said Jane. "I was only joking.

"I know, I'm sorry," I said. "I'm just a little touchy."

Silence.

"So," said Jane. "What do you think's going on out there?"

"Dunno," I said. "Charlie's probably interrogating John. I see a fistfight in the near future." We both giggled quietly so no one would hear us.  
"Well, I want to search the place!" I heard Charlie's muffled voice shout. I stopped laughing and quickly clamped my hand over Jane's mouth. She didn't protest, knowing what was coming.

"Aw, come on Charlie, don't you trust me?" John's voice said.

"No, I don't," said Charlie. "And if you're hiding her here when it is also a possibility that the shooter has her, you're doing a very cruel thing to me and Jerri."

"Geez, who cares about Jerri?" I asked Jane quietly. She pursed her lips together to keep from laughing.

"Okay, okay," said John. "I'll let you search, but I promise you, Eileen is not here." Slowly, the door creaked open, and Jane and I stiffened. We backed up further against the inside of the closet as if we were afraid the door would burst open, making us fall out so Charlie could see us. "See? Nothing."

I saw Charlie through the slits in the closet door and wondered if he could see me the same way. I inched back further and hid behind some clothes and motioned to Jane to do the same.

Charlie walked to John. "Okay, nothing. I see," he said, sounding defeated. Just the look on his face was enough to make me want to burst out of the closet and say, "Look Charlie, it's me! I'm alright, the shooter didn't get me!" but I didn't. I stayed in the closet for John's sake.

John out his arm around Charlie, like a friend. "It's okay, man, don't worry," he said. "Eileen's just fine, I know."

"But," said Charlie, "if you didn't take her, then-"

"Charlie," said John. "Did you hear a gunshot or a scream the night Eileen disappeared?"

"No," said Charlie. "But what has that got to do with-"

"That only points to one possibility," said John. "She ran away."

"But, where?" asked Charlie, alarmed. "If she's alone, the shooter'll track her down for sure!"

"Charlie, Eileen's a smart girl, she'll make her way through this," said John. He glanced swiftly to the closet where me and Jane were hidden, and then went back to my brother.

"John," Charlie said huskily. "How much do you care for my sister?"

"I care for her a lot," said John. "Eileen is very important to me, and I'm as much concerned for her as you are, if not more."

"Do you love her?" asked Charlie.

John was silent for a moment, as if thinking over what to say. He bit his lip, ruffled his hair, and then looked Charlie squarely in the eye.

"Yes. Yes I do. Very much."

"I'm glad to know that she was in the hands of someone who loved her before I took her away, then," said Charlie. I saw a tear trickle down from his eye and I wanted so badly to walk up to him, wipe the tear away and embrace him, to let him know that I loved him. I felt a tear stream down my own face, and Jane wiped it away for me. I smiled bittersweetly at her and mussed up her hair affectionately.

"She was," said John. "I'm sorry she wasn't here. Come on now, go on home, I'll drive you. Best not to drive when you're this upset." Right before he left with Charlie, John looked at me through the slits in the closet door again. His eyes seemed to look right through me, but at the same time they saw everything that was me. I looked back, but by the time my eyes matched his intensity, he had gone.

"Eileen, did you know?" asked Jane excitedly, very much amused by this new subject of gossip.

I didn't answer. I knew, but hearing him saying it was like me knowing it for the first time, even if he had said something of the sort to my face before.


	35. Chapter 35

"Okay, girls, it's safe, you can come out now!"

I sighed in relief and pulled at the handle to the closet door. There was just one minor problem. "It's locked!" I said.

"Oh," said John, who was outside the door. I could see his face through the little slits, and he looked flustered and confused. "Hold on, I'll see if I can get it from the outside." Jane and I moved back a bit as John braced himself. He put one foot up on the door, and pulled hard on the knob. No luck.

"How the hell are we gonna get out of here?" asked Jane, pulling at her long red hair.

"What seems to be the problem?" asked Gwen, walking in, folding her arms across her chest.

"The door's locked," said John urgently. "I don't know how to get them out."

Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes in agitation. "Oh, move over!" she shouted at John. She pushed him aside. "Honestly, I don't know how you'd get along in life if you weren't famous." She pulled a hairpin out of her front pocket and brandished it.

"What's that supposed to do?" asked John, puzzled.

"Are you _joking?"_screeched Gwen. Without another word, she reached passed John, jamming the hairpin into the lock of the closet door. She twisted it around a few times, and sooner or later, there was a click and the door sprang open. It was rather sudden, so Jane and I, who weren't prepared for the door to open so quickly, fell out, me falling first, flat on my face, and Jane after, landing right on top of me.

Gwen looked satisfied as she put the pin back in her pocket. "How did you do that?" asked John, impressed.

Gwen looked at John. "You _really _have a lot to learn Mr. Lennon," she said, and walked out of the room.

"Well," I said into the carpet, "that was painful."

"At least I landed on something soft," said Jane, still on top of me.

"That'd be me, Jane," I said.

"Oh!" said Jane, jumping off me. "Sorry 'bout that."

"S'okay," I said, standing up.

"You alright?" asked John, brushing my hair out of my face.

"Yeah," I said. I smiled at him and he grinned back and walked away. Right when John had closed the door behind him, Jane let out a big, loud squeal.

"Oh, Eileen, this is great!" she shouted.

I knew she was talking about what John had said to Charlie when Jane and I were hiding in the closet. "Yeah," I said, trying not to let too much emotion show. I didn't know what to make of it.

"I mean, fantastic! Did you know?" shouted Jane again.

I didn't know what to say. Yes, I did know, but it was so different hearing it from him. But then I remembered that he had said it to me a couple times before...it had just been a while. "No, I didn't," I said.

Jane squealed again, jumping up and down like an excited puppy. I felt like jumping too, but I wasn't going to get that wild over it. Jane was younger than me, so it was natural for her to react like this. I was a grown woman. But the child inside of me wanted to burst out.

"Do you love him too, Eileen?" asked Jane, her blue eyes dancing.

"Um..." I said. I froze up. I knew I did love him, but I started to second-guess myself. Maybe there was something inside of me that _felt _like love, but wasn't really. Maybe I didn't actually know what being in love felt like, so I was confused. "I just have a little crush, Jane," I said quickly.

Jane laughed and rolled her eyes. "Eileen, are you serious?"

"What?" I asked.

"Darling, I'm eighteen," said Jane. "At my age, we have crushes."

"Your point?" I asked.

"You're twenty," said Jane again. "Once you hit nineteen, crushes start to fade away. From then on, it's either love or lust. You're not a child, you're a woman; an adult. Which do you feel for John? Love or lust?"

What Jane said caught my attention. I would have never guessed that someone like her would be so deep. It must have been her acting talking. It just struck me at the fact that she was so young. But I had to think. Rather, try to think, because it was pretty hard to do so when Jane was staring at me. Despite that, I emptied out the drawers in my brain. Lust was a huge thing-it involved a near obsession with someone, something I didn't feel for John. I knew I loved him, but telling Jane that wasn't the same as telling Pattie or Gwen, but I had to say something to have Jane stop looking through me with her piercing blue eyes.

"I love him," I said, my voice shaking.

Jane grinned, but she couldn't say anything because John had burst through the door. "Eileen!" he shouted.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"We're going to the studio the day after tomorrow," he said, sounding very excited. I sighed, but smiled in spite of myself. I did love John for a reason.

_*One Week Later*__  
_John and I walked through the hotel room door, laughing. We had just gotten back from the studio again, and we finally had music for guitars, bass, and drums written out for George, Paul, and Ringo. John was also working on harmonies, but he still didn't have lyrics yet. He must have been stuck on them or something.

"Was that great or what, Eileen?" gasped John through laughter.

"Yeah!" I said. In truth, I had forgotten what we were laughing about, but it wouldn't hurt to play along. John went around the room, handing out music to George, Paul, and Ringo.

"Is this the song you've been working on?" asked Paul, holding up his music.

"Yep!" said John.

Paul looked at the music again. "It has no name," he said.

"I haven't been able to come up with lyrics yet," said John. "They'll come soon enough, don't worry."

"Ya need help?" asked Paul.

"Nah, I've got this. I just need a bit more inspiration," said John.

"That's fine," said Paul. I left those two and walked over to George, who had his guitar out and was practicing his part in the song. It was a very pretty part, the little riff that opened the song. The rest of the song was even prettier-John had somewhat based it off of my piano part, which he was planning to have sped up a bit to make it sound like a harpsichord. Why he didn't just have me play a real harpsichord, I had no idea.

"Hey Eileen," said George without looking up from his music or stopping his playing.

"Hey George," I replied, listening with great interest George's guitar. I began to hum the melody along with the arpeggios and chords. I was cut short by Pattie rushing over to us with a piece of paper.

"Eileen! Eileen! Check this out!" she shouted, shoving the paper in my face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Read it," said Pattie. I held the paper up and started to read:

_**Three of The Beatles Shack Up With Beautiful Models**__**  
**_"Oh lord," I groaned. This was either going to be real good, or real, real bad. I continued reading:  
_As it is known, hundreds of models were cast in the first ever movie starring The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night (scheduled to premiere in England July 6)." It wasn't known, however, that three of the boys, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, would start relationships with three of the models in the film! The three luck girls, Pattie Boyd, Gwen Stanley, and Eileen Carter, have been seen in various places with their Beatle. The first to start dating were George Harrison and Pattie Boyd. Boyd, twenty years old, small, and blonde, is a shy girl brought out of her shell by the equally quiet Harrison. Ringo Starr and Gwen Stanley have been spotted going to clubs and restaurants together, and both enjoy dancing the night away. Stanley, also twenty, has long brown curls and a pair of deep brown eyes sweet enough to even rival Starr's blue puppy dog ones. However, possibly the most well-known model lucky enough to be considered a Beatle's favorite bird is none other than Eileen Carter.__  
_"Oh dear God," I said. "Do I really want to read this?"  
"Go on," said Pattie. "I think it's funny!"

"Whatever you say," I said. I went on:

_Carter, with her glamorous platinum-blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and all around beautiful face has had her share of misfortune in her life. At the tender age of fifteen, she had her mother brutally killed by a man hitting her with his car-_

"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "How the bloody hell did they know that?" I shouted.

"Keep reading," Pattie urged.

I sighed and read on:

_-and now she is being tracked by who she believes is the same man trying to kill her and her remaining family. In fact, she probably would have been dead by now if it weren't for one man-John Lennon. Ever since the first dreadful night of attempted murder, Lennon has saved Carter from the hit of the bullet, one time taking the shot for her. This, no doubt, sparked their love for one another. Twenty-year-old Carter and Lennon have also been seen many times heading out to Abbey Road Recording Studio together, and are possible working on a song that may be released soon. We are keeping our hopes up! Although It seemed that Paul McCartney held Carter's interest at first, she is all for Lennon as of yet. McCartney, bassist for The Beatles, has been happily dating eighteen-year-old redheaded actress Jane Asher for just about a year now.__  
__Written by:__**Jerri Dunn**__**  
**_

"Well?" asked Pattie. "It that hilarious or what?"

"Hilarious!" I screamed, making both Pattie and George flinch. "I don't know about you, but having Jerri Dunn stalking me is _not _hilarious! How does she know all of this?"

"She's a reporter, Eileen," said George. "It's her job."

"I didn't know she was a bloody reporter!" I yelled. "I want to give her a piece of my mind!"

"How're you gonna do that?" asked Pattie.

"I don't know!" I said. "Do I look like Gwen?" I let out a frustrated breath and stomped off, in need of something to filter my anger out on.  
"What happened to you?" asked Ringo, who had caught me on my way to my room. I shoved the article in his face and stood there. He read it slowly, reading some parts over again. I could tell where he read about Gwen and him, because he went red there. When he finished, he handed the paper back to me. "That's that Jerri bird you don't like, eh?" he asked.

"I think 'don't like' is an understatement, especially now," I grumbled. "If you'll excuse me, I need to scream into a pillow now." I plodded over to my room, jumped on the bed, and did exactly that. Stupid Jerri-first you try and fail to be my friend, then you date my brother, then flirt with John right in front of him, and now you write this stupid article, with such accuracy that you might be stalking me! Oooh, there were _so many_things I wanted to do to her right now...maybe I could make the shooter that was after me shoot her instead. That would be great...dress her up as me, and have her shot! Yes...

Or I could get her myself.

Nah, I thought. I was just overreacting, but I still hated the fact of that dumb article and that almost everyone in Liverpool, if not all of England, was going to read it. At least there were no photographs.


	36. Chapter 36

I woke up the next morning feeling very groggy. Kicking the covers off of me, I stumbled out of bed to go into the bathroom. I saw my face in the mirror-but it was only half of it since my hair was flipped every-which-way it could possibly go. It looked like a movie-star do gone terribly wrong. Yawning, I reached for the hairbrush and smoothed it out. When it was looking back to normal, I got dressed and stepped outside. I found everyone clustered around the table with their heads together, snickering. Paul whispered, "Oh, here she comes, put it away," and Gwen nonchalantly slipped something under her shirt that left a huge, rectangular lump on her body. I knew right away that it was the newspaper that had the article Jerri wrote about me, Pattie, and Gwen, but I kept my mouth shut. In a couple of days, this could all be a funny memory.

"Hey guys," I said cheerily, going over to the table and sitting next to Pattie. "Having a good morning?"

Everyone there seemed to know that I had seen them looking at the newspaper, because they all had cautious, guilty looks on their faces. Looking both ways, Gwen took the paper out of her shirt and threw it to one side, as if she thought I wouldn't see. It was silent for a moment, but that silence was broken by a loud knock on the door. John looked up and went to answer it.

"Hey guys, it's Eppy!" he said when he looked through the peephole. He was grinning as he opened the door. "Hey Eppy!" he greeted.

"Hello Lennon," said Brian flatly. He sighed and walked over to the table.

"Hello Brian," said the rest of the band in unison.

"Hello boys," said Brian. "Boys-you _do _know your tour begins tomorrow night in Venice, Italy-right?"

All four Beatles looked at each other questionably. They all nudged each other until George spoke. "Well, Mr. Epstien, we all seemed to have forgotten about the tour in light of recent events." He nodded his head to me.

"I thought you said Germany," I whispered to John.

John shrugged. "Must've slipped me mind…"

"Ah, yes, heard about that," said Brian. He addressed me. "You are coming along, Miss Carter, is that correct?"

"Yes," I said. I saw Jane wiggle her eyebrows at me from the corner of my eye.

"Okay," said Brian. He looked up at the boys. "Boys, your job is to protect Eileen if someone tries to shoot her up. Got it?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Epstien sir!" shouted John, giving a military salute. "We will not let you down!"

"Oh, John, please don't screw this up," muttered Brian as he left the room.

"I forgot about the tour happening," I said.

"You're not the only one," said Ringo. "I need to start polishing me drumsticks." He got up to go to his room.

"I suppose we better start packing then," said George.

"There's one place I'd like to go before we all leave," I suddenly said.

"Where?" asked John, getting up and grabbing his hat.

"Alone," I said. John froze and looked suddenly disappointed and worried.

"Don't worry John," I said. "The big bad shooter's not gonna get me."

"Oh, we know you'll be okay," said Paul. "It's just that we're worried about what Brian'll say if he sees you walking around alone."

"Oh," I said. "Why is he so worried about me?"

John shrugged. "Dunno. I guess he doesn't want a death on his hands. He likes you, ya know."

"Yeah, I can tell," I said. "Well, I'm off guys. I won't be long." I took my coat off the rack and walked out the door.

"Hey! Gregory!" I shouted at the taxi coming up. Gregory let me in for free, as usual, and he began to drive.

"Where to, Miss Carter?" he asked.

"The Liverpool Cemetery, please," I said.

"Right up," said Gregory. I was glad that Gregory didn't question why I wanted to go to the cemetery. He was kind and patient and did his job well. The cemetery wasn't that far off. When we arrived, Gregory parked the taxi and let me out. I walked across the green grass and around the headstones to a white marble headstone that read the name: Elizabeth Carter. My mother. I walked up a little closer so that I was standing close to the stone. I had no flowers for her, but I don't think she would expect them from me anyway. She was never one for flowers. "When I die, don't you ever come near my grave with flowers of any kind!" she would always tell Charlie, Dad, and I. We would just laugh about it, until the day came that she actually did die. Charlie and I stayed true to our mother's wishes, but Dad brought her a single white daisy to bury with her anyway. I laughed at the memory, despite a single tear that trickled down my nose. Attempting a smile, I placed a small rock on the grass in front of her headstone. I stood there for a moment, the soft, cool breeze blowing my hair around. I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I turned around, expecting to see John, but instead there was Ringo.

"Hey Eileen," he said walking up to me.

"Hey Ringo," I said back.

"Everything alright?" asked Ringo.

"Yeah," I said, sniffling a little.

"Your mum?" asked Ringo, bobbing his head towards the headstone.

"Yeah," I said. "Elizabeth Carter."

"I see," said Ringo. He was obviously having a hard time of figuring out what to say. He seemed a bit uncomfortable; he was leaning from side to side, shifting his weight frequently. "You spent a lot of time together, right?"

I smiled bittersweetly. "Yeah, loads," I said. "Every weekend, we used to ditch the boys and go shopping. She always used to get the weirdest stuff." I remembered with a pang that night that Jane and I went out. I didn't realize it then, but she had done the same thing my mother did.

"That sounds like fun," said Ringo. "I never did stuff like that with me dad."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, my parents divorced when I was only three, and I was always gettin' passed between the two of them so much that I never got to spend much time with either of them."

"That's terrible," I said. "Everyone should be able to spend time with their parents."

Ringo shrugged. "Well, ya know. I was really never at home much either."

"Why's that?" I asked again.

"I was sick all the time," said Ringo. "I can't tell you the amount of times the doctors said I would die." He chuckled at his memory. "After a while, we all stopped believing them."

"Oh, wow," I said. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"Thanks," said Ringo, blushing a bit. "If I ever told Gwen that, she'd flip. Did I tell you that we're serious now?"

"No, you didn't," I said. "Good for you."

Ringo smiled. "I'm really sorry about your mum, Eileen," he said suddenly. "She didn't deserve what she got."

"Thanks Ringo," I said, looking up at him.

"That man is seriously evil," said Ringo. "Anyone that would do that to an innocent woman, and then start to go after her family is just twisted."

"That's why I'm so scared," I said. "I mean, what if he starts to go after Dad or Charlie next?"

"You think he's after all of you?" asked Ringo.

"Of course," I said. "Ringo, you didn't see the hatred in his eyes when he saw me for the first time without his mask since the day he killed my mum. He knew who I was, and he knows my family, too."

"None of us'll ever let him get you or your family, Eileen," said Ringo. "We'll put ourselves on the line for you."

"Well don't," I said. "I don't want you endangering your lives for a silly girl that just stumbled into them."

Ringo put his hand on my shoulder. "Eileen Carter, you are not a 'silly girl'," he said, looking more serious than I had ever seen him before. "You are my friend-all of our friends, and we will protect you and stick by your side, even if it kills us."

Without thinking, I sprung up and gave Ringo a kiss on the cheek. "What was that for?" asked Ringo, stunned, turning red and touching his cheek lightly.

"For being such a good friend, Ringo," I said, looking right into his eyes. "For being there for me, always. For being here for me now." I looked back at my mother's grave. "I just wish she'd be here for me now." Then I broke down. I flew into Ringo's arms and he let me cry into his shoulder while he ran his fingers through my hair and patted my back, murmuring comforting words softly in my ear. What he was doing wasn't like a lover, not like John, but like a friend. A friend who I knew would always be there for me, no matter who would be next in my family to die, no matter if he would die trying to prevent it from being me. I knew John would do that, but Ringo was loyal too, and had saved my life once before as well as John.

After a while, Ringo let me go, and I stood still, sniffling and blinking tears from my eyes. A single tear drifted down my cheek, and Ringo wiped it away. I smiled up at him and he smiled back. I could definitely see, especially now, what Gwen saw in this man. He was as caring, tender, sweet person that you could easily get addicted to. It was silent for a long time, but a rustle in the bushes broke the silence. Both of us whipped our heads in the direction of the bush, but we saw nothing.

"Probably just the wind," I said. But there was no wind now.

"We should start getting back Eileen," said Ringo. "We still have to pack for the tour." Ringo leading the way, we both walked back to where Gregory was waiting in the taxi.

When we got back to the hotel room, we found Pattie and Gwen looking distressed, gawking at Brian, who had a rather stern look on his face. "But why?" screeched Gwen. "We've had as much relations with them as Eileen has!"

"I told you, Miss Stanly, this is final," said Brian. "You two can't go."

"Don't feel bad girls," said Jane. "I can't go either."

"That's because you have theater tour!" said Gwen again. "This isn't fair!"

"Gwen, just listen to Brian," said Pattie. "It's not worth arguing over, you know we're not going to get to go anyway."

"That's right Miss Boyd," said Brian. "And mind you, the only reason Eileen is going is because we can't have her left here all alone for the shooter to get her."

"They can't come?" I asked, walking into the tempest.

"I'm sorry Miss Carter, but they can't," said Brian.

"How come?" asked Ringo.

"It'd be too much," said Brian. "I can understand Eileen going because it's just one girl, but three girls? Do you know how much trouble that would cause us? The boys'd be swarmed with fangirs who'd be wanting blood because their heartthrobs are with these girls."

As much as I would love my two friends to come along, I had to agree. "Guys, he's right," I said. "It's mostly for your own safety."

The girls bowed their heads in defeat. I felt bad, but it was only for the best.

"Aw, cheer up," said Jane. "Like I said, I can't go either. I'll write to you all about my theater tour!"

"Okay," muttered Gwen.

With that, we all took off to pack. It took a while, but we were finally done and ready to go. "I'll write," I said, saying goodbye to Pattie and Gwen.

"It was really nice to meet you Eileen," said Jane. "Especially under the circumstances," she added with a wink.

"Yeah," I said, still not forgetting how we met.

Jane checked her watch. "Oh my! I have to leave now or I'll be late! Bye girls! Keep in touch!" She gave each of us a hug, kissed Paul, and skipped off.

"See you," said Ringo to Gwen. Gwen stood on tiptoe (which was funny to see because that made her taller than Ringo) and they kissed goodbye.

"Bye Pat," said George to Pattie. He pulled her into a huge kiss that must've lasted a minute. I laughed and gave each of them a hug.

"Let's go," said John, grabbing my hand and leading me off with the others. I gave my friends a last wave goodbye and walked out of the room.

_*Pattie's P.O.V.*__  
_The hotel room was very empty and quiet with everyone gone. I glanced over at Gwen, and instead of looking upset like she did a while before, she had that familiar mischievous gleam in her eye. On no, I thought. What now?

"We're gonna get on that tour," said Gwen.

"Gwen, you're mad," I said, my head in my hands.

"I've been told that before," said Gwen before she went off to her room. Whatever she was planning, I hoped it didn't involve stupid costumes again.


	37. Chapter 37

I had to admit, I felt very bad about leaving behind Pattie and Gwen. For some reason, I had a suspicion that they'd get there anyway, but Brian would flip and send them back. In a way, I kind of liked being alone with the boys. I felt special, like I was the only girl in the universe. I tried not to smile too widely as I climbed into the limo parked in the back of the hotel.

"This is gonna be really fun, Eileen," said John, who was heaving his suitcase into the trunk of the limo. "It'll be exciting, for sure. Just stay away from fangirls."

"I think I can," I said. I still remembered the last time I got caught by fangirls. The scar on my arm was still there.

"Tours are always good," said George, walking over to where his and Ringo's suitcases sat alone. He lifted his up, and threw it back down again. "Gah! This is heavy! What the bloody hell did I put in this thing?"

"You didn't add anything did you?" asked Paul, trying not to laugh.

"No," said George. Huffing, he managed to pick up his suitcase (he was getting purple in the face) and toss it into the trunk.

"Ah, weakling," said Ringo. He went over to his suitcase, and he couldn't even lift it up an inch. He stopped pulling and started panting.

"Who's the weakling?" asked George.

"Oh, move over you two," said John. He lifted up Ringo's bag and put it in the trunk with the others. I never realized how strong he was. His muscles rippled as he gripped the heavy baggage and threw it. When he was done, he flipped his hair out of his eyes and stared off into the distance. The sunlight lit his soft features just perfectly and made his eyes go from dark brown to liquid amber. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Something the matter Eileen?" asked John suddenly. I realized then that I had been staring blankly at John all that time.

"Oh, I'm fine," I said, embarrassed. "Just spacing out."

"Well don't space too much," said John. "When you're on tour, you constantly have to be on patrol." He did an imitation of s sailor looking out from a crow's nest. I laughed, and he grabbed my hand and led me into the limo.

I sat between him and Ringo, with Paul on John's other side and George on Ringo's. Brian was in the front passenger seat, and driving the limo was a man I'd never seen before. He looked about the same age as the boys, but without the rock-and-roll-star look. He had mousy, light brown hair, and was tall and thin.

"Hey, John," I asked. "Who's he?"

"Oh, that's Neil Apsinall, our road manager," said John.

Neil Apsinall turned around in his seat a little. "Hey," he said. His eyes fixed on me. "Oy, who's the bird?"

"I wouldn't bother," said George. "She belongs to John." I saw John raise his eyebrows at George, and George raised his back. I bit my lip, trying to remain indifferent, although I felt a slight blush creeping up my face. Neil just laughed and turned back around in his seat to drive.

"So, we're going to the airport, right?" I asked.

"No," said John, keeping a very straight face with great difficulty. "We're driving right to Italy. Over the ocean and everything."

I bit my lip again, feeling stupid about my question. "Come on John," said Ringo. "Don't make her feel bad."

"I wasn't trying to make her feel bad," said John. "I really thought we were driving over the ocean." He finished with a wide, sarcastic smile. I smiled too, but sheepishly. The drive to the airport (not across the ocean) was a bit longer than the other car rides I'd taken with the group. I caught myself nodding off numerous times, all of them on John's shoulder. Every time I felt my head slipping down onto him, I jerked back up and tried to act like nothing happened. I focused my eyes on the horizon, hoping it would keep me awake, but soon enough, I was drifting again. My head drooped onto John, and I began to lift it up.

"You know I really don't mind," said John suddenly, making me jump. His eyes were fixed out the front window as well. Taking his comment to heart, I carefully leaned my head back down. Long car rides made me so sleepy. The world around me started to go in and out of focus, and before I knew it, everything went black.

_I was standing at the end of a long, echoey hallway. It was dark, and there were no doors on either side, except for the other end of the hall. I heard two voices coming from that room-one a man and the other a woman. They were talking affectionately to each other, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. Curious, I walked further down the hall to see what the two were up to. The closer I got to the room, the louder the voices got, but I still couldn't make out any words. The women's voice grew more sinister, and I walked faster. The voices got even louder. Louder, louder, louder-BANG!__  
_

_I was at the door now. Slowly, I peeked into the room to see what caused the loud noise. I froze when I saw the scene: there was the man, with yellow-blond hair, a tall and lanky build, and blue-grey eyes staring up blankly at the ceiling. He was covered in blood and lying in a pool of it on the floor. He was dead. The woman was standing over him with a fixed expression of no emotion. She had short brown hair and green-hazel eyes that held no expression as she looked down on the dead man. In one hand, she held a smoking gun; in the other, a gleaming diamond engagement ring. I gave a small, muffled scream, and the woman jerked upright. Her hazel eyes fixed upon mine, and a small smirk appeared across her face. Slowly, she raised the gun. I yelped and dashed across the hallway again. I ran faster than I ever had in my whole life. The woman was gaining on me, my life was flashing before my eyes as I shot down the hall. Suddenly, I tripped, and the woman stood above me just like she had the man she killed. She raised her gun again and pulled the trigger...__  
_

I awoke with I loud yell. I was shaking and saturated in sweat. I was breathing as hard as I would if I had won a twenty-mile -long marathon. The limo had stopped; I could see we were parked in the lot of the airport. It took a little while for my eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Then I saw everyone in the limo-John, Paul, George, Ringo, Brian, and Neil-looking down on me with worried expressions.

"What's wrong, Eileen?" asked Brian sharply from the front passenger seat.

Not having enough breath left in me to speak, I shook my head vigorously.

"Eileen, are you okay?" asked John, who was dabbing my forehead with a damp cloth.

Once again, I was still breathing too hard to answer.

"Eileen, you have to tell us," said Paul urgently.

"Guys!" snapped Ringo. "Give her some space! She's obviously not feeling well."

"I agree with Ringo," said Neil. "Let's get on the plane before it flies off." That seemed to settle it. We all got out of the car (John and George had to hold me up because I was still shaking) and put the bags on the luggage cart that drove over to the airplane. The closer we got to the airplane, the more I calmed down because I knew that I'd be far away from whoever was trying to kill me. And Jerri. When we boarded the plane, I had stopped shaking and I could walk by myself now. I was still damp from sweat, but it had dried up a bit.

"And here we are," said Brian as we boarded out private jet. "Let's sit down and get going; we're already running behind." The seven of us went to find a place to sit. Ringo and George sat together in front of Neil and Paul, and Brian sat by himself in the opposite row in the back of the plane looking over some paperwork. That left me and John to sit together.

"Over here," said John, pointing to a pair of seats two spaces in front of where Brian was sitting.

"Fine," I said.

"I call aisle!" called John. I snorted and slid into the window seat. John sat down next to me and gave me an inquiring look with his narrow brown eyes. "So?" he asked.

"So what?" I asked back, trying to give him an equal facial expression, but possible failing horribly.

"What happened back in the limo?" asked John again. "With your dream."

"Oh. That," I said. I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. I told everyone about the last dream I had, and it turned out to be a big joke, which I was okay with; it made me feel a whole lot better about what happened. I knew that telling John would do no harm. He would probably like to know that I had another dream like that. Taking a deep breath, I proceeded to tell him about my latest dream.

"...and I just feel strange because it's the second dream I've had like that," I finished.

John laughed. "Eileen," he said, still looking straight into my eyes. "Jerri Dunn is not the shooter-she can't be!"

"I know that," I said. "And I know for a fact who the real shooter is. I've seen him."

"I believe you, Eileen," said John, his features softening. "Besides, if Jerri was the shooter, you'd think she'd have shot herself by accident in the likely event that she had the gun pointing the wrong way in an attempt to shoot you." We both laughed at that. After all, it was true. Jerri simply lacked the brains to be the person after me.

"I think you're having these dreams because you strongly dislike Jerri," said John. "and because you're afraid that the shooter's going to get Charlie next."

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"Ringo told me about the graveyard while you were asleep on the limo," said John. "When you went to visit your mum."

"Yeah," I said. I felt myself drifting off again, but not in the tired way.

"What was her name?" asked John.

"Elizabeth," I said. "Elizabeth Carter. Her maiden name was Morris."

"Did she look like you?" asked John. I wasn't quite sure why he was bringing that up.

"She looked more like Charlie," I said. "I get my looks from my dad."

"I see..." John trailed off. "Your dad's still around, right?"

"Yeah, he is," I said. "He's living in Blackpool."

"Alright," said John. "You see him often?"

"Occasionally," I said. "John, why are we talking about this?"

"Because I want to learn more about you," said John. "Ask me stuff now."

"Okay," I said. I tried to think. He had already told me about his mother, and I didn't want to bring it up. Maybe I could ask him about his father. "What about your father?" I asked.

John looked deep in thought when I asked him, as if trying to come up with a distant memory then he said: "My dad lived a seafaring life. He was barely ever at home. He was at sea when I was born, even. It got so bad at one point that my Aunt Mimi got my mum to hand me over to her. Mimi thought mum couldn't handle me herself."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," said John. "Well, me mum finally ended her relationship with dad when I was about two, and then remarried."

"Did you go back to living with her, then?" I asked.

"Not for a long time," said John. "I reestablished a relationship with her when I was about sixteen or so. It was great. She started me with music, something Aunt Mimi hated. Mum got me playing banjo, and then I went on to guitar. She taught me until she was killed..." His voice trailed off there and he started playing with his mop of hair.

"Are you okay, John?" I asked.

"Yeah," said John. "I'm fine."

"We don't have to talk about your mum if you don't want to," I said. "I know how it feels."

John looked at me with that piercing gaze again. "I know that. That's what makes me want to talk about it to you. We both had the same experience." We had stopped talking by then. Most of the ride was in silence, except for the random burst of laughter at Paul's jokes and the scratching of Brian's pen on his paper. I stared out the window of the plane, looking at the ground so many feet below. It looked like a patchwork quilt. I remembered the quilts my mother used to make for me when I was little. They used to be so many colours with a multitude of shaped stitched in. They were beautiful.

I must have been looking out the window for a long time, because before long, we were landing in the Venice Airport. As the plane leaned forward to land, all I could think about was the connection between me and John, and the dream I had back in the limo. I did not want anyone else I cared about to die. Not even in a dream.


	38. Chapter 38

We had got out of the car that picked us up from the airport and were now opening up the door to the hotel room. It was just me, John, and Paul because Brian and Neil stayed behind to help George and Ringo with their heavy suitcases. It took us a while to get up to the room because we were carrying suitcases (though not as heavy as George's or Ringo's) and one guitar each (John his electric, Paul his Hoffman bass, and me John's acoustic guitar). Finally, we got into the large hotel suite and collapsed onto the couch. However, as soon as John hit the cushion, he hopped back up, grabbed his acoustic from me, and shot over to one of the bedrooms.

"It's that song," said Paul. "It's been taking over his life."

"It's bound to be good though," I said. "I mean, he's working on it all hours of the day and all."

"Yeah," said Paul, taking out his bass and the music that John wrote down for him. "That's why he'll kill me if I don't get a move on with it." Putting the paper in perfect light, he began to play the bass line for the song. As he played, I hummed the melody quietly (I was no singer, so I didn't want to mess Paul up).

When Paul finished, he laid his bass on top of its case. "I think that'll do," he said, leaning back on the couch.

"Does he have lyrics yet?" I asked.

"Nah," said Paul. "At least not any I know of."

"Can't you help write them if John's having trouble?" I asked. "You are his writing partner, right?"

"Yeah, I am," said Paul, "but for some reason he doesn't want my input on this song, lyricwise. I help him out on the musical aspects, but it seems that he wants to do the words himself for some reason. It might be about something close to his heart." Paul glanced over at me with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, come off it," I said, swatting my hand. "Maybe he just doesn't want help on this one."

"Whatever you say, Eileen," said Paul, looking up innocently at the ceiling. "Don't think I didn't hear snatches of your conversation on the plane."

I grew bright red. "Seriously," I said. "It's not like it was intimate or anything; you could've joined in if you wanted. Well, maybe you would've felt out of place though. You never lost your mother."

"Now, how do you know that?" Paul asked, looking right at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I'll have you know that I _did _lose my mother, before you or John did, as a matter of fact," said Paul. "I was fourteen."

"Oh," I said, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't know-"

"It's fine," said Paul. "I wasn't expecting you to know. She didn't die like either of yours though."

"Well that's good to know, I guess," I said, still sheepish. "If I can ask you, what did happen?"

"Cancer," was the one word Paul said.

"I'm really very sorry," I said. There was as silence where I could hear John very faintly from the other room working on the song. I tried to catch bits of lyrics, but it was hard to understand. Before Paul could answer, the door swung open, making us both jump.  
In came four men and two suitcases-Neil helping Ringo, and Brian helping George.

"Jesus Christ!" shouted Neil as he and Ringo walked in. "What the hell did you put in this thing, man!"

"I told you, just the usual stuff!" Ringo shouted back.

"And to think I still have to go back and get your drums," muttered Neil.

"And George's guitars," said Brian.

"But guitars are easier than a whole drumset," said Neil as he and Ringo sat the suitcase down. "You don't have to set a guitar up."

"Actually, if you need to tune it or change the strings..." said George, setting down his own suitcase with Brian.

"Way to make me feel better," said Brian in the same tone in which Neil last spoke. The four of them plopped down their suitcases, and one of them emitted a soft, "Oof!" from inside.

"What the hell..." said Ringo. He nudged the one that said, "Oof!" with his foot, and something inside it moved.

"Oh my God, what's in there?" shrieked Brian like a little girl, flinging himself behind Neil.

"I'm sure it's nothing to be scared about," said Neil.

I had an idea about what it was by now, and by the look on George's face, he knew too. We looked at each other with knowing expressions and made a silent pact to keep out mouths shut. George then went to his suitcase (the one that said, "Oof!") and Ringo to his. Slowly, they unzipped them, and they opened with a great force with the sound of two people gasping desperately for breath. "Well blimey," said Paul, sounding amused. "Look who it is!"

Popping out from under the tops of the suitcases were two heads; one blonde from the one that said, "Oof!" and the other brunette. The blonde (who was the one who actually said "Oof!" and not the suitcase) was wearing a pink knit beret on her head that was slightly askew on her tussled yellow hair and the brunette's hair was even more tussled, her fringe poufed out like a poodle's and her curls tossed about her head. Both wore similar dazed and caught-in-the-act expressions. They were Gwen Stanley and Pattie Boyd.

"Okay, this was _not _my idea," snapped Pattie, her face going from a little kid caught stealing from the cookie jar to a very miffed expression. "This was all Gwen!"

"Oh, well you agreed with me!" Gwen yelled back, yanking one of Ringo's socks out of her hair. "You wanted to come!"

"Girls..." I said, but it didn't do any good.

"Well, what would you expect me to do?" said Pattie, looking on the edge. "Did you think I'd want to be left all alone in the hotel room while you left? If there was someone else there, I would've stayed!"

"Oh, yeah right!" said Gwen. "You would've came, I know you."

The argument went on and on. I looked around the room at everybody. George and Ringo were hiding their faces, embarrassed that their girlfriends would do such a thing, and in shock of finding out why their suitcases were so heavy. Brian looked completely dumbstruck. Neil had a very blank expression; he never met the two girls, so he had no clue what he was getting into. Paul, on the other hand, looked amused. I would have thought he'd be disappointed that Jane hadn't found a way to get out of theater tour to sneak here, but he looked positively unphased.

I, on the other hand, wore an expression similar to Neil's I didn't know what to think: I was happy that they were here, but I was also embarrassed and nervous at what Brian would do to them once he got to his senses. I just stood there, idle.

"Oy!" came a sudden shout from the next room. John bounded out of it, gripping a sheet of paper and his hair tussled. "Can ye keep it down out there, I'm trying to work-" He stopped dead when he saw Pattie and Gwen still in their boyfriends' suitcases and broke into an ear-to-ear smile that rivaled Paul's. "Well, what do we have here?"

"A couple of rogues, no doubt," said Paul, grinning back at John. "So, Eileen, were you planning this?"

"Not at all," I said, still staring very blankly at the girls. "I can't say I didn't expect it, though."

"Then why didn't you warn us?" Brian suddenly exploded.

"Because I wasn't sure," I said calmly, despite my urge to shout right back at the manager. "I was so caught up in so much other stuff..."

Everyone's eyes were on me now...

"...that I honestly didn't know what to expect..." My voice was rising slowly now..."That a raving lunatic like Gwen Stanley would end up making up some stupid plan to get her and her best friend in trouble!" I was shouting now, and before I knew it, I was on top of Gwen on the floor, beating every inch of her I could reach.

I was seriously whaling on Gwen, but I wasn't mad or upset; in fact, I was smiling so hard I thought my face would split and I was laughing so much that tears were pouring down my face.

"Gwen-you-are-such-a-stupid-git!" I half-shouted half-laughed, hitting her with every word.

"Why-OW!-are you choosing-OW!-me to hit?-OOOOWWWWW!" screamed Gwen through the punches.

"Because you were the one who thought this up in the first place!" I yelled back, not putting Gwen into a headlock.

"Is this what they're like all the time?" asked Neil, half-amused half-worried.

"Nah, not all the time," said John in the same tone. "Why doesn't someone try and break them up?"

It took a while, but Pattie finally plucked up the courage to get near us (who were now yanking at each other's hair) and throw us apart.

"What was that for?" asked Gwen, who was frantically trying to tie her hair back as if she was afraid I'd start pulling it again.

"I don't know!" I said, still laughing like a lunatic.

"Should we separate them?" I heard Pattie whisper to Brian.

"No," said Brian, his face in his hands. "Just let them get used to each other."

"So," said George. "I think we know why mine and Ringo's cases were so heavy."

"How'd you do it?" asked Ringo.

Pattie and Gwen both looked at each other and sighed collectively. "Okay," said Gwen finally. "It goes like this: neither Pattie nor I wanted to be left in that hotel room alone, because even though that shooter's after Eileen, we were still a little scared."

"And not to mention that we wouldn't know what to say if Charlie came in expecting to see John and the others there," Pattie put in.

"Yeah, that too," said Gwen. "Well, anyway, we decided to find a way to come along-"

"_"We'?,"_Pattie scoffed. "It was all you-!"

"-Anyway," said Gwen, cutting through Pattie's interruption, "I thought to hide in suitcases. So when I saw that George and Ringo left theirs lying alone, we seized the opportunity and hid ourselves in them."

"Didn't you have trouble breathing?" I asked, calming down a little.

"No," said Pattie. "When we were in the trunk of the car and in the cargo compartment in the plane we unzipped the cases and got some air."

"What were you planning to do when we got here?" asked Paul.

"We were _planning _to come out in the middle of the night and pretend we had just ended up there," said Gwen, "but someone just _had _to blow our cover!" She glared at Pattie.

"Well if you were slammed down as hard as I was, you'd say 'Oof!' too!" retorted Pattie.

"Oh, come off it, you two!" I shouted. "You're here now, aren't you?"

"But we're in big trouble, aren't we?" replied Pattie. All of us looked at Brian.

"Well?" asked George. "It is kind of my fault they got caught like this in the first place...I did slam my bags down hard," he gave an apologetic look at Pattie, who in turn gave him the mushiest look ever possible.

"Can they stay?" asked Ringo with a hopeful glance at Gwen.

Brian seemed (and looked) lost for words. He looked from Pattie, to Gwen, to me, and to George and Ringo a multitude of times before he gave his answer: "Yes, they can stay."

The two girls cheered and jumped for joy, and then kissed their boyfriends. The suddenly reminded me of the screaming teenagers that tried to rip me apart that one day, so when they came over to hug me, I recoiled slightly.

"What's wrong?" asked Gwen.

"Nothing," I said. "Glad you're here." I let them hug me, and the three of us proceeded to talk in detail about our trips to Venice.


	39. Chapter 39

Waking up the next day just made me remember how much I hate mornings. Everybody in the room (John, Paul, George, Ringo, Pattie, Gwen, Brian, and Neil) were bustling around the room, telling the boys not to leave the hotel, making Pattie and Gwen swear not to lure them out, putting up precautions to "save" me if the shooter knew we were in Venice, and just about everything else they could possibly do. I awoke to the sound of Brian giving George and Ringo a lecture about Pattie and Gwen.

"-and there will be absolutely _no _public displays of affection! I know you two were already in the papers with those girls, but you still need to keep it on the down-low!"

"Yessir," said George. I could tell from his tone he was probably raising his eyebrows, but I couldn't see him because my eyes were still tightly shut, trying to shut out the chaos of the morning.

Just as I was drifting back into sleep, there was a deafening bang as the door slammed open and a loud voice shouting, "Good morning, Sunshine!"

My eyes sprung open, and I was expecting to see John in the doorway, goofy smile and all, but it was Neil, leaning on one side of the post, looking right at me with raised eyebrows and a slight smirk.

"Well, rise and shine love, big day today!" said Neil again, this time striding up to my bed.

"Hey!" I shouted as he flung the covers off me. "What the hell was that for?"

"We need to get some stuff dome today, and we can't have you just lying in bed!" said Neil.

"I'm a big girl, I can wake myself up," I said, clumsily getting out of bed. "Now, can you be so kind as to get out while I dress?"

"Of course Ellen," said Neil.

"It's Eileen," I said.

"Oh, right!" said Neil, slapping his forehead. "Terribly sorry Irene."

"No, no," I said. "Eileen."

"Oh, sorry there," said Neil. "I'll let you dress now Aileen!"

"It's Eileen," I said through gritted teeth as Neil walked out of my room.

I dressed quickly in a tight-fitting, strapless white dress striped with black and yellow that went down to mid-thigh and walked out of the room. "Okay, everybody, I'm ready!"

Everyone in the room looked up at my loud comment. Neil glanced at me and smirked again. "Should we tell her?" he asked, looked around the room at everyone.

"Well, we'll have to!" snapped Brian, losing his patience. "Eileen, come over here."

I walked slowly over to Brian. What was the matter? Was he mad at me for Pattie and Gwen coming? Did he think I was endangering them all by drawing the shooter? Was I getting in too many papers? "Yessir?" I asked shyly.

"We can't let you out of the hotel dressed like that," said Brian.

My stomach dropped. "Is it too tight?" I asked.

"Well..." said Brian. "It's just that it's too, well...feminine."

"What?" I said, taken aback.

"What he means," interjected John, "is that we can't have people knowing who you are."

"Oh," I said, still confused.

"We'll need you to get out of those clothes and put these on," said Brian. He tossed a blue polo shirt, khaki trousers, and a pair of Chelsea boots at me.

I just barely caught them. I almost fell backwards, but I found my footing before I toppled onto Gwen, who was standing behind me. "Whose are these?" I asked.

"Mine," said Ringo from the couch, raising his hand. "We figured that I was the closest to your size, so I had to give up some of my clothes."

"Thanks," I said, holding up the clothes and not knowing what to think. "So...how's this supposed to make me look different?"

"Just change into them and we'll work from there," said Brian. I took that as the cue to head back to my room. Once I was, I peeled off my dress and began to put on Ringo's clothes. They were a little loose, especially the shirt, but other than that, they fit okay. I modeled myself in the mirror, striking poses that I did in my photoshoots. I actually thought I looked rather good in the clothes. Maybe I should take a career in a new men-like clothesline for women...

I realized that I was holding up everyone outside, so I struck one final pose and went into the main area of the room.

"Fantastic!" said Neil.

"It actually looks pretty good," said Paul, who got approving nods from John and George.

"It looks so weird on someone else," said Ringo.

"I don't get how it's supposed to make her look different," said Gwen.

"Like this," said Neil. He strode over to John, yanked his baker boy hat off his head, and went over to me.

"Yes?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to tuck your hair under the hat," said Neil.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Neil yanked my hair up. "Ow!" I shouted.

"Oh, sorry Irene," said Neil. The whole room sniggered and I wanted to punch Neil, who was now painfully twisting my hair on top of my head. Tears of pain leapt to my eyes, but I held them in.

"There!" said Neil as he placed the hat upon my head over my hair, which had been pinned down. "You are now a boy!"

I turned and looked in the mirror. I had to say, I did look like a boy. I had on Ringo's blue shirt and khaki pants, and John's black leather baker boy hat that concealed all my hair except for my fringe. But there was still one small problem.

"Uh, guys?" I said.

"Yeah?" the room chorused. Gwen and Pattie seemed to know the problem, because their eyes were in the general direction of it.

"This is great and all," I said. "But there's just one more thing." I gestured to my chest, which still suggested I was a girl, even under Ringo's loose shirt.

"Oh, right," said Brian. "I didn't see that flaw in the plan..."

"Wait!" said Neil, leaping up. Running from the room to his, he came back later with a strip of fabric. "Bind it around," he said, thrusting it at me.

"But that'll hurt!" I said. "Do you know how sensitive-"

"Please don't give us all the gory details love," said Neil.

"I have to agree with Neil, Eileen," said John. "And he's right. It's either do that, or be cooped up in the room all this time. Personally, I'd rather go out."

"It'd be hard for you to go out anywhere though, Lennon," said Brian.

"Don't remind us," said George.

"So?" said Neil, putting the cloth out further.

Glaring, I snatched the cloth away from him and stomped back into my room. I came out a few minutes later with a flat chest, looking (and feeling) very miffed.

"Great!" said Neil.

"I believe she deserves being told her new identity now," said Gwen.

I rounded on her. "Oh, so you knew about this too?"

Gwen shrugged quickly. "Well, we had to be let in on it you know, so we wouldn't leak it out to people that you're here." She looked to Pattie for support, and she nodded.

"Fine," I grunted. "So...new identity?"

"That's right," said Neil. "Irene, you are now 'Erwin Starkey', Ringo's cousin."

"Funny, I thought my new identity was 'Irene'," I muttered to Gwen and Pattie, both of whom went into a fit of giggles.

"You are sixteen years old and are visiting your cousin, Ringo of course, on tour," continued Neil.

"That means you have to gravitate towards me, by the way," Ringo interjected.

"I see," I said. "I can deal with that. Do Gwen and Pattie get to cross-dress as well?"

"Well..." said Gwen, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, "they wanted to put you through the gender-bender because they thought people would recognize you more..."

"So we're just getting wigs," finished Pattie.

"Oh," I said. "Right."

"So," said Brian as he stepped in. "I suggest we all know the rules."

"Right!" exclaimed John, throwing his fist in the air.

"Please restrain yourself Lennon," said Brian. "Firstly and most importantly: Miss Carter's identity will not be told at all during the tour, and she won't be spoken of being on the tour in the first place."

The room nodded, waiting for more.

"Next," said Brian, "Although Miss Stanley and Miss Boyd are not in Miss Carter's shoes, they are too to remain incognito because they are associated with Miss Carter. If the shooter knows where they are, he ought to know that who he is after is not far away. This will also prevent fan riots, one of which Miss Carter has already been caught in."

There was a brief silence that signified understanding, and then Brian spoke again.

"And lastly," said Brian. "None of the band will go out of this hotel room at all during the tour without me or Neil in chaperone."

"What?" the four boys shouted.

"But we've been able to go out before in disguise!" yelled Paul. "That ain't fair!"

"You can go out with us," repeated Brian calmly.

"Oh, but that's never any fun, is it?" stated John. "You folk are always trying to stop us from doing anything fun, and all the while arranging press conferences! What's the difference between this tour and any other tour we've been on anyway?"

"If you haven't noticed," said Brian, a little less calmly, "you are in the company of a young woman that is being chased by a mad killer!"

All eyed rested on me. I suddenly felt meek and small, like all of this was my fault. "Sorry," I said softly, looking down at the ground.

"Aw, don't be sorry," said John, giving my spirits a leap. "We weren't prepared for this at all love."

That made me realize how much I loved John.

"Okay," said Brian. "Is everything settled?"

"Yes, sir," said the room in unison.

"Good," said Brian. "You all better get used to calling Eileen 'Erwin', especially you, Ringo."

There were nods of understanding, followed by Brian's groan of, "Oh boy, this is going to be one long tour..."


	40. Chapter 40

Gwen, Pattie, Ringo and I were walking through the streets of Venice. We were alone, but Neil and Brian were nearby so we were still being watched carefully. Ringo was the only one out of the four of us that wasn't in disguise; Gwen had stuffed her long hair into a short, black wig and Pattie wore a brown wig. Bright colors like blonde and red were avoided as to not draw attention to ourselves (not that walking with Ringo Starr would not draw attention anyway). We walked a little more down the cobbled streets. Venice was really a pretty place. Everywhere you looked there were beautiful people passing up and down the city, tall buildings decorated with vines rose from their foundations, and the famous waterways wove through the city, spotted with the even more famous boats with couples sailing romantically.

The farther down we walked, the more nervous I got. What if somebody recognized Ringo, and the resulting chase resulted in my hat blowing off or something? Or, God forbid, if my disguise wasn't good enough and somebody recognized _me? _I tried to remain calm for the sake of the other three, but it was hopeless.

We turned a corner, and suddenly heard a noise. We wheeled around to see a group of three girls, about fourteen or fifteen, giggling.  
"Ringo, you better get yourself out of here," I muttered to a scared-looking Ringo.

"I don't think it's Ringo they're looking at," said Pattie. She was right. The three teenage girls were still in a fit of giggles, but their eyes weren't on Ringo-they were on me. I had forgotten that looking like a sixteen-year-old-boy would draw some girls. I prepared myself for the worst as they approached us.

"Hello," said the tallest , boldest looking one in an Italian accent. She looked to be the oldest, with auburn hair. She looked up at me intensely. "What's your name?"

"Uh..." said, not sure of what to do. "Erwin."

"Oh," said the tall girl, and she and her two friends giggled again.

"I'm Ringo's cousin," I said, nodding at Ringo, who grinned.

"I see," said the tall girl again. "My name's Alli. It's short for Allegra." She batted her eyelashes, and Gwen chortled silently at her too-Italian name. "My friends are Bella and Luna," Alli said again. Bella had short brown curls and Luna was a blonde.

"Nice to meet you girls," I said. I made a go past them, but Alli stopped me.

"Where are you going, Erwin?" she asked.

"I've got to help the band set up," I said, gesturing to Ringo again.

"Oh, but why?" said Bella with a small giggle. "We'd just _love _to spend some time with you." She giggled again.

"Really, girls, you don't understand," I said, backing up.

"Don't we?" asked Luna. My eyes darted all over the place, at the three girls, at Ringo, and Gwen, and Pattie. They then darted to a newspaper in Luna's hand.

"Can I see that paper?" I asked her.

The girls stopped advancing on me. "The paper Luna has?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, that one," I said.

"Sure you can Erwin," said Luna. "I just finished reading it."

"You'll probably find it interesting," said Alli. "It's about your cousin and some girl." Luna handed it to Alli, who handed it to me. There was a picture on it, but it was in such bad quality I could barely make out what it was. I knew the man was Ringo, but the girl was hard to figure out. It was most likely Gwen, but it was hard to tell.

"Thanks girls," I said.

"No problem Erwin," said Alli. "We're here all the time. Stop by if you need anything!" She looked at me flirtatiously, and then the four of us left.

"I don't think I've ever seen a girl that went for another person when one of us was around in plain sight," said Ringo, dumbstruck.

"And not to mention that person was a girl," said Gwen.

"But nobody knows that," said Pattie.

"I just have to say I wasn't prepared to be hit on by a bunch of teenage girls," I said, trying to read the paper. All of it was in Italian; I'd have to wait to get it translated.

"Isn't it better than actually getting hit by a bunch of teenage girls, though?" asked Gwen, trying to scratch an itch under her wig.

"I'm not sure," I said. I tried figuring out the article again. "God, I wish I knew what this bloody thing says!"

"Look at the picture," said Pattie.

"I'm trying but it's horrible quality," I said.

"We can try to get it translated," said Ringo, shrugging.

"There you guys are!" said Brian, rushing over to us with the rest of everybody in tow. "What were you up to?"

"Well, Eileen got hit on by three teenage girls," said Gwen.

"Wha...oh, yes, she's a boy right now," said Paul.

"Those girls gave us this newspaper," I said, showing it to Brian. "But everything's written in Italian, so we can't read it."

"That would be a problem," said Brian. "Can I see it?"

I gave it to Brian, who looked over it with John.

"Well, we know who wrote it," said John.

"Who?" I asked, craning my neck over.

"Your best friend," said John, pointing to the name at the end of the article. Sure enough, I saw the words "By: Jerri Dunn" printed there.

"Oh God," I said. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Don't worry about it," said John. "Jerri's just a mean, mean lady!"

I giggled, which must've looked weird, as I was supposed to be a teenage boy. "True," I said. "But if it's about Ringo, I want to know what she said about him. It could be very bad."

"Thanks Eileen," said Ringo quietly.

"No problem," I said.

"It could be about Gwen," said George. "Justifying that a picture of her boyfriend's on the paper."

"I know, but the girls said it was about Ringo," I said.

"Where can we go to get it translated?" asked George.

"Beats me," said Neil. "Maybe those girls?"

"I'm not going back there if I can help it," I said.

"Well, we'll have to find out what it says somehow," said Brian passively. "Now we need to set up for the show tonight."

"Right on, Eppy!" shouted John, punching his fist in the air.

"Oh, God, Lennon, please don't do that," moaned Brian, his head in his hands.

"Right sir, I'll please please you if it pleases you, please, sir," said John, causing Brian to make an exasperated sound in his throat.

"Let's get on with it," said Paul. "Where is the place?"

"Downtown," said Brian. "And we need to get there quick if we're gonna make it in time."

Going downtown was pure hell. Everywhere we went, girls crowded around the car from all sides, screaming and yelling. Some were even crying and feinting. It was pandemonium. Neil, who was driving, swerved all around, trying to avoid all the fans, but that just made it worse. Poor Ringo was sitting in his corner, clutching his stomach and turning a sickly pale green colour.

"Are we gonna stop yet?" he asked. "I don't think I can take any more of this."

"We're almost there Ringo," said Neil. "Just try and keep it all inside."

"That's the hard part," said Ringo.

"Isn't this a bit dangerous?" asked Pattie, looking around nervously.

"A bit," said Neil, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the road. After a while, we arrived at the venue. It was indoors, and huge. From outside, it looked like a gigantic dome that rose out from above everything. Once we got inside, it looked even bigger. The stage was in the center of all the seating. The seats went from a foot away from the stage to all the way up to the ceiling. I had to crane my head back all the way to see all the seats.

"It's huge!" I exclaimed. My voice echoed all throughout the venue.

"Yeah," said John. "I think this is the biggest we've played at so far."

"I wonder if it sold out," said George, looking around with his head up so high I thought he'd fall over backwards.

"Boys!" Brian called from the stage. "The equipment won't set itself up!"

"That's why we have a road crew!" John shouted back.

"You can tune up then!" Brian yelled. "Just make yourselves useful!" John and George went to join Paul and Ringo on the stage. Pattie walked over to me and nodded in the direction of Gwen. Gwen was deep in a heated conversation with a man near the backstage door. She had the newspaper clutched in her hand, but she was reading another one.

"Maybe she got it translated?" I suggested.

"Just wait," said Pattie, looking worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "I knew it was going to be bad if that Jerri cow wrote it-"

"I just want you to stay calm," said Pattie, "and don't go down to Gwen's level."

"What are you talking about, Pat?" I asked. "I'm seriously missing something here."

"You won't be for long," said Pattie. She shifted her brown wig slightly to keep her blonde hair from falling out. Suddenly, her blue eyes got very big when she looked up at me, and her whole face changed from nervous to devastated. "Oh, Eileen, it's terrible!"

"Shh Pattie," I said. "Don't shout my name that loud. What's wrong?"

"Oh, I tried to talk some sense into her, but she wouldn't listen!" said Pattie again. Tears were streaming down her face as she went on.

"I knew everything Jerri wrote was rubbish, but Gwen just wouldn't listen! She was in a fit of jealous rage, and, oh, I don't know why she believed it!"

"Pattie, I don't understand," I said, trying to comfort her. "What did Jerri write?"

"I don't know if I can tell you, it's so horrible. It's a twisted lie!" said Pattie, gripping at her wig. "I knew you were somewhere with him at the time, but I know you! You would never!"

"It's about me?" I asked. "What is it?"

"You would know!" an angry voice shouted. I whirled around to see Gwen glaring at me from under the black fringe of her wig. "Eileen, how could you? I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend!" I shouted. "Gwen, I truly don't understand what's going on here! Do you care to tell me?" I felt as if I was going completely out of my mind. Why would no one tell me what Jerri had written? Apparently it was nothing to pleasant.

"Oh, I'll tell you alright," growled Gwen. She shoved the newspaper article in my face.

"I can't read it!" I shrieked. "It's all in Italian!"

"It's the translated version!" Gwen yelled back. "It'll do you good to know what happens when a person does something like this to a friend. Maybe you'll think twice next time! No wonder you didn't want me and Pattie along. Were you gonna go for George next?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about Gwen?" I asked again. This was getting out of hand. I wanted to know right now what Gwen was on about. I completely forgot that the answer was in my hand, and that made it worse.

"If you say that one more time," said Gwen, leering closer with narrowed eyes, "I'll pull that hat off so that everyone will know who you are, and maybe the shooter'll come for you." With that, she stalked away.

"What's up her's?" I said.

"I told you it was terrible," said a sniffling Pattie. "You can look at the paper if you want. It'll make things clearer for you."

"Right," I said. I unfolded the crumpled newspaper and held it up to the light. I saw the exact same grainy picture that was on the old paper, but all the writing was in English. Reading the headline, I felt my heart stop:

_**"Lennon's Girl Spotted on a Romantic Graveyard Stroll With Ringo Starr"**__**  
**_

Oh bloody hell. When was this ever going to end?


	41. Chapter 41

_"Gwen Stanley, steady girlfriend of the drummer of the musical sensation, The Beatles, Ringo Starr, was living the life a girl could only dream of. Everything seemed just right, until Stanley, 20, was cheated and hurt. Not so much by Starr, 23, but by her best friend, Eileen Carter, also 20. Beautiful and blonde, Carter was thought to be completely happy in the arms of her love, Beatles guitarist and singer, John Lennon, 23. That was true, however, until Starr caught her eye. As it is well-known, Carter is currently being chased by a maniac killer, armed with a gun. It was thought that Lennon saved her from this madman every time, but new witness evidence shows that Starr did indeed save her on one account, picking her up as a groom holds his bride and running off with her.__  
_

_"I heard a really loud noise, and all of the sudden, Ringo Starr was running off with Eileen," says Melissa Ingrid, 18, and a witness to the event.__  
__While it was later followed by a quieter relationship with the drummer and more of a focus on Lennon, something came up with the two right before The Beatles went off for their European tour.__  
_

_Carter and Starr were spotted in an empty graveyard earlier that day, together, with no other company. Carter was allegedly visiting the grave of her late mother, Elizabeth Carter, who was killed, supposedly by the same man who is now after Carter, when Carter was only 15. Starr showed up to 'comfort' Carter, and it later was followed up by a steamy love affair in front of Carter's mother's grave. It included a weepy Carter in a tight embrace with Starr, and Carter giving Starr a kiss on the cheek, and that's only the light stuff. Whether or not Gwen Stanley knows what her boyfriend and her best friend are doing behind her back is not known yet, but when she finds out, the whole world will be behind her. Carter cannot use her excuse that someone is after her trying to kill her this time.__  
_

_The pair's other friend, Pattie Boyd, 20, is blissfully unaware of the state of things, and is happy with her faithful boyfriend, George Harrison, 21."__  
_

"This. Is. Rubbish," I said through gritted teeth after I read the whole article out loud. Pattie sat beside me, looking very upset, biting her lip.

"I'm so sorry Eileen," she said. "I really don't know why Gwen believes it!"

"Whatever the reason is, it has to be stupid," I said. I took a closer look at the photo on the paper. It was grainy, but sure enough, now that I knew what the article was about, I saw a clear shot of Ringo and I, hugging, in the graveyard. My eyes traveled down to the words

"By: Jerri Dunn" at the end of the article, and I slowly ripped the name out of the paper.

"That Jerri woman will pay," I said. With the name torn out, I ripped it into little, tiny pieces and threw them down on the stage from the top of the venue where we sat.

"I understand you're in a bad state now," said Pattie. "But whatever you do Eileen, do not lose your temper. And please don't blow your cover. With that headline out, it could make things worse for you."

"Yeah, I know," I said, dropping the rest of the name. "I'm going to be the sensible one in this whole thing."

"I'm not doubting you," said Pattie. "Just keep your cool. Gwen is the only one stupid enough to believe the article."

"I just don't know how this is going to affect my plans of pretending to be Ringo's cousin though," I said. "I don't think Gwen'll let me near him at all."

"She'll probably let you if you need to," said Pattie hopefully, but I sensed a hint of doubt in her voice. I knew Gwen well enough to know that she'd make this thing out bigger than it really was. In other words, I knew Gwen would not let me within a ten-mile radius of Ringo now.

"I hope you're right, Pattie," I said in spite of myself.

I looked down from my seat. Below, I saw Gwen giving Ringo, who looked confused if not a bit upset, a few choice words about what must have been the article. I couldn't tell what Gwen was saying, but she didn't look too happy to say the least. I looked away for a second, and then back again. Gwen had stopped yelling at Ringo, but instead she was then being unnecessarily clingy with him, clutching him so tightly that Ringo looked like he'd pop. It was quite sickening, really. I started thinking what Gwen would look like with her eyes popping out of her head as I crushed her windpipe. Ooooh, that'd be sweet, sweet, revenge. Maybe she'd scream for mercy as she slowly stopped breathing...

"Eileen!" Pattie's voice snapped me out of my daydream.

"Wha?" I said spacily.

"Eileen, are you all right?" asked Pattie.

"Oh, I'm fine," I said. But the harsh reality was that I wasn't. Gwen was being so stupid, and I had no idea why. Soon, everyone had the stage set up, and the people started crowding in. It sounded like some dumb person had put a dozen microphones up to twice that amount of jet engines. Or a million fingernails screeching on a chalkboard. The sound of screaming girls was terrible. Pattie and I slammed out hands to our ears to shut it out, but it did nothing. In the crowd, I recognized Alli, Bella, and Luna, screaming their faces off.

"I hope they don't find us," said Pattie. "Mostly you."

"Yeah, mostly me," I said. I pulled my hat further down over my face and tucked little bits of my hair back into it. "But I'm not sure if I'd want to be Eileen more than Erwin right now-look."

Everywhere around us, nearly everyone in the crowd was holding the newspaper article about me and Ringo.

"Oh God," said Pattie, looking around. "I wonder if they believe it."

"They probably do," I said bitterly, glancing down at Gwen, who was now sitting on Ringo's lap. "They don't know Jerri like I do."  
Pattie didn't respond to that. She just remained silent and watched the band run to the stage with their instruments. The screams got louder, but there were also some people waving the articles at the stage. There were no boos or jeers, just screams. Ringo was now away from Gwen and going to his drumset, and Gwen looked flaming mad. As soon as everything was set, Paul stepped up to the microphone.

"Hello everybody!" he said. He was answered by a loud, continuous scream.

"I just want to make an announcement before we begin playing," Paul continued. Suddenly, the place became silent. It seemed almost louder than it was before then. Paul waited a little while and spoke again.

"I see that you all have a certain newspaper article," he said. "I want to let you know that it is not true. Yes, the two in question were in the graveyard, but it was only a simple gesture of a friend comforting a friend. I was not there, but I know the two very well, and well enough to know that they are not involved with each other in any way other than a strong friendship." I saw his eyes flicker towards Gwen, who looked furious, for a moment, and then back at the audience.

"I want you all to put those newspapers away now, so we can get on with the show! Now are you ready?" His reply was a scream so loud that it could've broken the sound barrier, and the rustling of papers being stowed under seats.

"Let's have a good time Venice!" Paul shouted into the mic. "One, two, three, four!" The show started with "I Saw Her Standing There." Gwen sat in her seat like a sourpuss, but Pattie and I danced in our seats (we didn't stand up to lay low, as to not be spotted by Alli, Bella, and Luna). I tried not to think about how my first Beatles concert was without Gwen with us. I would have wanted today to be with Gwen and without disguises. Just normal. But that was hopeless with the circumstances now.

There were more songs after that where John, George, and even Ringo got to sing, but now it was John's turn instead of Paul's to say something into the microphone into the crowd.

"This next song I'd like to sing is a song from our very first LP 'Please Please Me,'" he said. "It's called 'Ask Me Why'."

"Oh, Eileen, you love that song!" said Pattie with a gleam in her eye.

"Can it," I said laughing. My stomach felt like it turned inside-out as John got ready to play the song. I had seen him play before, but this concert was the first time I saw him preform like this since the filming of "A Hard Day's Night."

Pattie and I stopped laughing when John and the band began to play. I caught snatches of him glancing over at me for moments at a time as he sang, as if he was singing it to me (which he probably was). I couldn't help but notice how god he looked up there, in his suit, singing into the microphone, with his Rickenbacker guitar strumming chords. He looked over at me every now and then, and it made me see even more that he loved me. He didn't care that I was supposed to be a sixteen-year-old boy who was his drummer's cousin-he still felt that way. And it made me realize once again how much I loved him.

I was in a daze for most of the song. When it ended, it was like being snapped out of a glorious daydream. They played a few more songs, and then ended with a song from "A Hard Day's Night," "Can't Buy Me Love." As soon as Paul said the band's final goodbyes, the crowded room emptied out. I watched as they made their way backstage with Brian and Neil. Gwen followed, and Pattie and I waited until all of the fans left before we made our way down there.

"You guys were great!" I exclaimed when everybody was backstage.

"Thanks," said John, wiping sweat off of his face.

"No problem," I said. I took off my hat to air out my head, letting my hair tumble free. No one that didn't know about my false identity was back there, so it was safe. I caught John studying my face as my hair fell down around it, but he snapped out of it as soon as he figured out that I noticed.

"I'm sorry about that newspaper article," he said. "That really wasn't right."

"Yeah," I said. "It'll wear off soon. I hope."

"I hope so too," said Pattie. "Gwen's driving me nuts right now." She nodded her head towards Gwen, who was now in a full-on make-out session with Ringo.

"She's being stupid," I said.

"I'll give her two more days," said Pattie.

"Yeah," I said. "She'll smart up a bit and realize that Jerri's just a stupid bitch with nothing better to do with her life. That article is rubbish. A witness? There was no one bloody there that night! But how did she know?"

"She might be in cahoots with the shooter," said John. "She's definitely evil enough."

I laughed. "Yeah, she might be." I looked over at Gwen and Ringo again. Gwen still had Ringo in the make-out, but she let him go for a second. She looked at me and gave me a sneer so evil, she could have been the shooter. Then she went back to sucking Ringo's face again. That made me mad. So mad, that I thought of grabbing John and making out with him! No, I thought. I would not step down to her level.

"Just don't pay attention to her, Eileen," said Pattie.

"She's right," said John. Pattie nodded and made her way over to George, whom she greeted with a kiss. John and I looked at each other. I felt myself drawing nearer and nearer to him, and he was getting closer too. He touched my face with feather-light fingers and ran them through my free hair. I felt his breath on my cheek as he leaned in.

"Lennon!"

We shot apart at Brian's call.

"Yes Eppy?" said John.

"You and McCartney need to talk about the next show," said Brian.

Before John left, he gave me a long, intense stare. Then he went across the room.

So darn close.


	42. Chapter 42

Pattie had thought that because I was supposed to be Ringo's cousin right now, Gwen would loosen up on her hold on Ringo so I could play the part. Well, you could say she was a bit mistaken. Okay. She was downright wrong. Gwen would not let me within a five-foot radius of him! When everyone was walking out of the venue to get back into the limo, Gwen literally slammed right into me to prevent me from sitting next to him. I was left with a seat in between Pattie and John, and a bruise forming on my arm. I sat between the two feeling very disgruntled, and probably looking it too.

"I'm so sorry Eileen," said Pattie. She out her hand on my arm, right where Gwen had hit me. I bit my lip and closed my eyes in the pain.

"Pattie..." I said through gritted teeth.

Pattie shot her hand away in an instant. "Sorry," she said.

"Quite all right," I said, my eyes still closed and my head leaning back on the seat. I pushed my slipping hat further down on my head.

"Cheer up you," said George, who was sitting on Pattie's other side. "You and Gwen'll be back together before you know it."

"That's what you say," I said. "But the only problem is that this sort of problem can only be fixed by someone as crafty as Gwen."

"No," said John. "You're wrong. This sort of problem will be solved by someone who refuses to believe the muck that a reporter like Jerri Dunn racks up, and can convince Gwen to see eye to eye with that person."

"Meaning?" I said.

"You, duh," said John.

"Oh, no," I said. "I am _not _reasoning with that one."

"You know you're going to have to sooner or later," said George.

"Stop stalling," said Pattie. "George's right. You're beginning to remind me of you when you were about five years old."

"Oh, gee, that's nice," I said. I didn't say much after that. Gwen wasn't the only thing on my mind anyway. I was also thinking about John (big surprise) and the almost-kiss. I wanted to know what it was like to feel him kiss me again. I wanted to feel his lips caressing mine. I wanted to feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek as he neared my face. Wanted to hear his gentle voice say "I love you" right before that one magical moment. But unfortunately, the things you want don't have a guarantee to come true, no matter how much you want it.  
We arrived at the hotel at half-past-ten at night. Everyone was tired, but somehow full of energy. Watching everyone walk back into the room made me think of a bunch of drunkards stumble to a motel room after a wild party. I chuckled a bit at the thought at the boys getting drunk together. What a sight that must be! I felt a little scatterbrained myself, but I was trying to remain happy. As soon as we arrived in the hotel room, I yanked the hat off my head and threw it to the side.

"We're back!" I shouted, and then collapsed on the couch.

"So you're not a sourpuss anymore?" asked John, sitting next to me on the couch.

"As long as Gwen doesn't do anything stupid, I'm fine," I said. I didn't know if Gwen heard me or not, but right after I said what I said, she pulled her wig off, shaking her long brown curls, and grabbed Ringo by the arm.

Ringo yelped as Gwen dragged him away into a room and gave me an apologetic look. I shot him one back before he and Gwen disappeared.

"Should I leave now?" asked John with a big grin on his face.

"Funny," I said, slamming a pillow into John's face. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed." With that I left and went up to my room, leaving John on the couch, looking a little thrown. Tomorrow would be out last day in Venice, and I was glad. Maybe that article was only put out in Italy. I smiled to myself as I took off Ringo's clothes (the ones I was wearing! Geez, get your minds out of the gutter...Gwen was probably doing that in the other room anyway) and pulled the sheets over me in my bed. Tomorrow was going to be a new day for sure.

_*The Next Morning*__  
_I sat at the island in the middle of the hotel room picking at my banana-nut muffin, not very hungry at all. Gwen had jerked Ringo out of the hotel before I could so much as say "Good morning" to him. I was surprised to see a mint-green polo and a pair of blue jeans that belonged to Ringo at the foot of my bed when I woke up. Gwen had enough sense to let them do that it seemed.

"Eileen!" Brian called from the door. "I've got a letter for you."

I put my muffin down and stumbled sleepily to Brian. It was very hard to walk in Ringo's blue jeans for some reason.

"Here you are," said Brian, giving me the envelope. To be honest, I was expecting hate mail from someone who had read the article, but I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the name written on the envelope: Jane Asher.

"Who's it from?" asked John, who was sprawled out on the couch, his mouth full of breakfast.

"Jane," I said, going over to sit next to him.

"Jane?" asked Paul, drawn by the sound of his girlfriend's name. "What does she have to say?"

"Let's see," I said, opening the envelope. I took out the piece of paper inside and unfolded it. It read:

_Dear Eileen,__  
__I'm sorry I haven't gotten to you sooner. Things have been very busy in the theater. No time to do anything. How've you been? I've been doing okay, but this play is very demanding. I don't know if you know or not, being all the way in Italy, but that Jerri Dunn published a ghastly article in the paper about you. It says that you and Ringo are having an affair! I'll tell you that I don't believe it for one second, and you know I'm a credible source, considering what happened in the before-time (you know what I mean). It's just dreadful, it is. Best of luck to you dear, and tell the boys and Pattie and Gwen hi for me! I know that Gwen won't take any of what Jerri wrote to heart, she's too good a soul. She and Pattie'll stand by you. So anyway, good luck and have fun!__  
_

_Love,__  
__Jane__  
_

_P.S. My show's coming to Germany at about the time you guys will be there. Stop by if you get the chance! It's "Pride and Prejudice." I'm playing Elizabeth.__  
_

I put down the letter, and John and Paul looked at each other, and then me.

"So," John said. "That article's been published back home too?"

"Seems like it," I said. "That's just what I'm afraid of."

"Why's that?" asked John.

"Because that means Charlie will find out that she's with us," said Paul.

"That's right," I said. "Just what I need."

"And to make it worse, his girlfriend's writing all this stuff about you," said John.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "I'm surprised that Charlie hasn't wrote to me yet."

"He doesn't know where you are," said John.

"Not yet," I said. "With Jerri with him, he'd know where the Invisible Man is."

"That's bad," said Paul.

"Yes, very," I said. "Say, do you know where Pattie and George are?"

"Still sleeping, probably," said Paul. "I wouldn't blame then either. Rough night."

"Tell me about it," I said. "You didn't get snubbed by your best friend because of some phony news article."

"McCartney, come over here!" called Brian.

"Oops, gotta go guys," said Paul getting up. "Manager wants me." Paul left, leaving John and me sitting on the couch.

"So Eileen," said John. "Wanna see Venice?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We're gonna sneak out of here, Miss Carter," said John. "Just the two of us."

"But we can't," I said. "If Brian finds out, he'll have our heads!"

"That's the fun part," John said, winking. "Brian has to go to a press conference today. When he leaves, we'll get out of this prison."  
I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to go. That was the part that was saying-no-yelling at me that this might be my chance to finally get with John on a relationship status. Another part was telling me not to go; the prudent part of me that didn't want to get in trouble with Brian, the part that knew I'd get in huge trouble, maybe get sent back home, if we were caught. The first part seemed to be yelling louder.

An evil smile crept across my face, and John's face lit up. "I'll do it," I whispered.

John grinned even more. "I thought you would," he said. "I'll give you the OK."

"I'll be listening," I said.

"Lennon, come here please, you and McCartney have to work something out!" Brian called again.

John gave me another grin before he left. I knew what I was going to do today was wrong, but I couldn't help but feel it was so right. Just me and John, alone together in the romantic city of Venice. Anything could happen. I drifted into a daydream, forgetting all about Gwen and Ringo and Jerri and Charlie. It only had me and John. It was terrific. And it just might turn into reality in a few hours' time.


	43. Chapter 43

_Dear Jane,__  
__Everything is sort of okay here. The guys just finished their first show and they sounded great. This is our last day in Italy, and after this we'll be in Germany. And about that article by Jerri, it's here too! I'm glad you don't believe it, but I've been in hell. I've had to disguise myself as a sixteen-year-old boy to avoid being recognized or anything like that with the shooter and all, not to mention angry Ringo fans for me supposedly "breaking his girl's heart." And to make it worse, Gwen actually believes it! I can't even begin to explain why or how, but she does. I've still got Pattie by my side, but Gwen's acting like a jealous teenage girlfriend. I just wish sometimes that things were back to the way they used to be, you know, before all this shooter, crazy Beatle, Jerri stuff. It would be a lot less of a headache for me!__  
__But beside all of that, all's well. The shooter hasn't shown any sign of anything since that one time when I was with you. The show last night was terrific, and I'm having fun. I really hope to see you in Germany! Good luck!__  
__Love,__  
__Eileen__  
_

I hastily finished my reply to Jane and shoved it in the envelope. I sealed it, and rushed outside wearing my cap to put it in the mailbox in front of the hotel. I rushed back into the hotel unseen, and into my room. I was waiting for John to give me the sign to get ready to leave.  
I knew it was wrong; I knew I shouldn't be doing it, but that was what made it all the more exciting. Breaking out of a hotel room with John Lennon to explore Venice. Oh, the thrill of it all! I sat down on the bed, bouncing a bit in anticipation. In a few short minutes, Brian would be leaving and John and I were free to get out. I twirled a lock of hair around my finger and looked out the window. My cap was off now, but I knew I'd have to put it back on again when we were ready to go.

John had told me what his sign would be: an obnoxiously loud holler of "All right boys, work on the bloody song!" Waiting for it felt like hours, but it was really only five minutes or so before I heard it echo through the hotel room. I was expecting it, but it still made me jump out of my skins. I leapt off of the bed, put my hair under my cap, and rushed out the door to the main room.

John stood in the middle of the room, wearing a black polo, jeans, and his Buddy Holly glasses. Even with his thick-framed glasses, he looked very handsome. When I came out, however, he gave me a look.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked.

"So I can remain incognito," I said, shrugging.

"Well, guess what," said John, grabbing my arm and walking me back to my room. "We will not be hindered by disguises today."

"None?" I said, standing in front of my door, flustered.

"None at all," said John. With that, he left me there. I took the hint and went into my room to change.

I felt even more dangerous as I slipped into my white dress with black and yellow stripes that I tried to wear when we first came to Venice. I took my cap off, but left it on with my hair down on second thought. I modeled myself in the mirror for a bit, and came out.

"Now _that's _more like it," said John when he saw me. "You really make that work."

"I'm a model," I said, letting John take my arm. "I'm supposed to make a paper bag work."

"I'm sure you could," said John. "Let's get out of here."

We couldn't just get out through the front door, so John led me into his room.

"How're we gonna get out through here?" I asked, looking around at the walls and ceiling.

"Watch and learn," said John. He went over to the window by his bed and opened it. Beneath the window was a ladder that lead out to the sidewalk below. John held out his arms. "After you, ma'am."

I laughed as I went to the window. "Sure," I said. Carefully (it was really hard to do because of my tight-fitting dress) I climbed out of the window and onto the ladder.

I paused at the first step. "You sure we're not gonna get caught?" I asked.

John slid his glasses down his nose. "Trust me Eileen, everything's going to be fine." When he smiled, I had no choice but to trust him. It was a friendly, open, "I will never harm you" smile that melted me. It made _me _smile as I climbed down the ladder.

John came down after me. I felt free as my feet hit the sidewalk outside of the hotel, my hair loose in the breeze and not under a hat. I had not gone out as me in two days, and it felt great. John stood next to me when he got down from the ladder and looked at me. "Well?" he said, holding out his hand.

"Let's go," I said, taking it in mine. We walked hand-in-hand down the busy street, and I didn't worry about anyone recognizing us. In fact, I didn't even _care! _I was with John, and that was it.

We were walking on the sidewalk when John pulled me onto the road.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We're gonna get a portrait," he said, walking me to the other side of the road.

"Won't someone see us?" I asked.

"No one is going to know who we are," said John. "I promise you." Once again, I just had to believe him.

We arrived a couple seconds later at a tent with a man sitting on a flimsy lawn chair in front of an empty canvas. There were paint cans and brushes at his feet, along with a nearly-empty glass of wine.

"'Ello there," said John in a fake, but real sounding, heavy accent. "'Ow much for a portrait?"

"That'd be about five of your English pounds," said the man, who of course had an Italian accent. John pulled out the money out of his pocket and sat me and him down on a chair on the other side of the canvas.

"'Ere ye go sir," John said as he handed the man the money.

"Thank you," said the man, sitting down on his stool. "Hold still now, this may take a while." John and I sat posed as the artist painted us on the canvas. We didn't smile; for some reason I thought this should be a serious picture, and John seemed to read my mind. One of the many things I loved about him. I didn't know how I was able to hold my pose for so long and keep a straight face, but I did. The artist put sown his brush and said, "Okay folks, you can move again."

"Oh, thank God," I said with a smile, shaking out my limbs. The artist smiled too as he dried the paint with a fan.

"I wonder how it turned out?" said John, shaking his limbs too.

"Probably very nice," I said.

"Here you are," said the artist. He handed John the canvas and he held it up so we could see it.

It was like looking into a mirror. The figures of John and me staring back at us with their painted eyes was haunting, but beautiful. Although John was wearing his glasses in the picture, he looked as great as ever. He really did work in those glasses...his stare behind the lenses was piercing, like he was looking through you, flesh and bone. A few strands of hair were painted falling into his face. Then there was me. My hair was still blonde, but I caught glimpses of lighter brown streaks in all of the yellow. I wondered if that was really how my hair looked. Possibly only in the light. My eyes were as blue as ever, standing out from the pale of my face. The artist did every detail in the sharp angles of my face, my prominent cheekbones, my straight nose. There was also a bit of pinkish colour in my cheeks.

"Wow," I said, still staring at the painting.

"Thank you sir," said John. "It's fantastic."

"Don't mention it," said the artist, who obviously never had this sort of complement before. "Have a nice day."

After thanking the man once more, John and I were off again. John was holding the portrait under his arm.

"Where to now?" I asked.

"Where do you think all tourists go when they go to Venice?" asked John.

"Uhh...Italian restaurants?" I asked.

"No," said John, laughing. "The boats!"

"You mean those boats?" I asked, pointing to the (very) famous waterways and the small canoe-like boats in the water being propelled by men at the front with long oars.

"Yes, those boats," said John, and without further ado, he was dragging me over to the dock and paid to get us onto a boat.

"I just want to let you know," I said as I unsteadily climbed into the boat and sat down, "that I have never been in a boat in years."

"You'll be fine," said John. "Be glad you're not Ringo. He's awful with boats."

"Oh," I said, trying to keep still. "Okay." John laughed softly and held me close as the man at the bow began to steer us away from the dock and into the open water. It was like a scene from a dream. Like something you'd only find in the pages of a love story. It was a bit cliché, but I didn't care one bit. No one knew who we were, and it was the most romantic thing in the whole world.

"I'm having a good time," I said, but I flinched when I figured out that I sounded like a teenager on her first date.

"I am too Eileen," said John. The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. It was like a soft caress; he said it so carefully, pronouncing every syllable and letter (except for the silent "E" of course). He made my name seem like the most beautiful name in the entire world.

I snuggled up closer to him now, taking in the smell of his hair. It had a woody, natural smell to it, and it made me dizzy in a good way to inhale it. "John," I said.

"Yes?" asked John, looking at me.

"I don't know," I said. "I just felt like saying your name."

"Say it again, darling," said John. I expected him to be smirking, but he wasn't: he had a face as straight as the one of him in the painting.  
"John," I said again as John stroked my hair. I don't know if it was the gentle rocking of the boat or just the mood of the moment, but John was getting closer and closer to me every second. I felt his eyelashes tickle my face as he blinked.

"You say my name so perfectly," he said. "Like an angel."

I laughed because that was how I thought he said my name, but he stiffened because he took it differently. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said leaning into him again. "This is wonderful."

"Just being with you is all I can ask for Eileen," said John. We passed under a bridge then, and a swift shadow played across John's still serious face.

"What are you saying?" I asked, my heart rate quickening.

"Eileen, do you remember the night that I took you home after you-er-met Jane?" John asked.

"Yes," I said, a faint blush creeping up my face remembering.

"The morning after I said that I wanted us to stay friends," said John, facing forward now.

"I remember," I said. What was coming?

"Well," said John. "The reason I said that was-well-I didn't want to out you more in the public eye than you already were. I didn't want you to be in more danger than you got into."

"In other words," I said. "You didn't want to be involved with me that way because you didn't want the shooter to find me through you?"  
John nodded.

"John-" I began, but he cut me off with a finger on my lips.

"Don't say anything Eileen," he whispered. "I just want to enjoy this moment." He put his lips to my cheek. He wasn't kissing me; he was just resting there. It was a feathery-soft touch, like a child's hand. I froze in the moment, not thinking about anything or anyone else but John. The world around me went blurry, almost nonexistent.

"No matter what I say," he said softly against my cheek, next to my ear, "I just want you to know that I love you, Eileen Carter."

I knew he did; I knew it was coming, but I couldn't say another word. The glasses almost made him look like a hopeless romantic geek from high school, but not all the way. He took his lips away from my cheek and looked me in the eye. No words, just emotion. He might have been waiting for me to say something, but I never found out. He was getting closer now, and I closer to him. It was like last night after the concert; the feel of his breath on my cheek, his hands on my back and in my hair, the chill down my spine. The whole world seemed out of focus at this point, swirling around us like a vortex of endless colour; a rainbow.

Our noses were touching now, but John paused. He did not move farther away, he just stopped.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"I want to hear you say it," said John. I knew exactly what he meant, and I would've said it anyway.

"I love you, John Lennon."

John grinned for the first time in the few minutes we were on the boat and said, "And that's how I wanted it in my life." Then slowly, surely, lovingly, he kissed me.

It was a beautiful kiss, better than any from him that I'd had before. His lips molded perfectly with mine, and it was magical. He caressed me gently as I kissed him back, combing my fingers through his hair. His glasses pushed up against my face, but I didn't mind. It didn't matter that he was wearing them; it was John, after all.

After what seemed like several minutes, we broke apart. "Do you mean it this time?" I asked him, breathless.

"Everything love," said John. For the third time today, I had no choice but to believe him.


	44. Chapter 44

_"Where have you been?"__  
_

That was the greeting John and I got from an angry Pattie who answered the door when we got back. She was just standing in the doorway, glaring, crossing her arms. "Well?" she said again.

"Uh..." said John. "Well, we were-"

"We were out, happy?" I said, looking Pattie squarely in the eye.

"Out!" she shouted. "Eileen! I thought you were better than that!"

"Obviously not," I said. "Pat, no one recognized us, we were fine."

"I don't care!" she yelled again, her eyes flashing. It was then that I realized her eyes weren't a pure blue; they were sort of greyish-blue, like a knife, which was cutting right through me as she stared me down. "But someone could've seen you! I know the shooter hasn't been after you for a while, but that doesn't mean that he's not around the corner."

"He's all the way back in Liverpool Pattie," said John. "He's not here."

"I don't care!" shouted Pattie, making John jump. "Oh, grow a pair you."

"What's wrong with you, Pat?" I asked. "Am I about to lose another best friend?"

"No Eileen," said Pattie. "I'm trying to make it so I don't lose one! I don't want you to get hurt! Oooh, you two are so lucky I'm not marching _right _over to Brian right now to tell him about this!"

"You're not going to?" asked John.

"No, but if you say another word, Lennon, you just might have to hold me back," said Pattie coolly.

"You know Pattie," I said, just as coolly, "I'll have you know that when John and me were out, we actually got officially 'together' so if I were you, I'd be happy for us instead of trying to kill us!"

Pattie's face softened up, but her eyes were still steely. "Oh," she said. "I didn't know..."

"Eileen, calm down," said John.

"Ok then so you didn't know!" I shouted. "But the point is that we weren't caught! So just back off!"

"Okay, okay fine!" said Pattie. "Look, I'm sorry, I was just worried."

"All right," I said. "I'm gonna get into something more comfortable. I'll be right back." I walked from the main room to my room and closed the door. I fell back on the door and held my face in my hands for a moment. Why did all this stress have to come so suddenly? After I was done, I decided to change into Ringo's clothes so it wouldn't look like I'd been out while Brian was gone. I walked over to the closet and opened the door. This morning, the only thing that was in there was my dress and Ringo's clothes. My dress was on me, but I soon saw that Ringo's clothes weren't the only things in the closet now. Shifting through the shirts and the pants, I found something that almost made me scream out loud. In fact, I did.

"Eileen, what's wrong?" gasped John as he and Pattie rushed into the room.

All I could do was point to the black ski-mask hanging from the top of the closet.

"Holy crap," said Pattie.

"No 'I-told-you-so' Pat," I said quietly.

"I won't," said Pattie. "Oh, Eileen, what could this mean?"

"It means that someone has been skiing," said John, "or that shooter's here somewhere."

"It's not snowing," I said, shaking. "Oh! Why does everything happen to me now!"

"Eileen, nothing is going to happen," said John, clutching my hand. "We're leaving Venice tonight, and we'll be far away from him. Trust me."

"What's going on there?" said a voice. I turned around and saw Neil and George coming towards us. Both of them stopped when they saw the ski mask. Neil, because he had no idea what it was, and George because he actually knew.

"Oh God," said George. "Eileen-"

"Yes, I know," I said. "It means he knows where I am."

"Who knows what?" asked Neil. "Boy am I missing something here?"

"Yes, you are," said Pattie. "There's a shooter that's been chasing Eileen around for ages, and this just happens to be his ski mask."  
"How do you know it's his?" asked Neil.

"Just trust Pattie," said John. "We've seen this mask millions of times."

"Oh my God..." I murmured again. I felt like I had to cry, but my eyes were as dry as a hot plate. I felt like all the air was being choked out of me and I was shaking like an autumn leaf on a tree, just ready to fall off its branch. He was in the room...at some point today...the man that killed my mother, and was now after me...he was in the room...

"Eileen," said George, "It's gonna be okay, don't worry."

"No it's not," I said quietly. "We have to get out of here. Now."

"I agree," said John urgently. "Neil, call Brian, and get Paul, Gwen, and Ringo. George and Pattie, can I trust you two to pack up everything without making love in a pile of my trousers?"

"John, I don't think it's the time for that sort of thing, do you?" said an exasperated Pattie.

"Just checking," said John innocently. In normal cases I would have laughed a bit at John's silly remark, but not this time. This time, I was trembling. I felt numb all over my body; the only thing I felt was my heartbeat; in fact, it was the only thing that let me know I was still alive. Today was such a good day, and then it all went to pieces. Neil, George, and Pattie all ran off to do their jobs, leaving me and John alone in my room.

"Oh John," I said softly. "Why did this have to happen, why now?"

"I dunno Eileen," said John. He kneeled down to where I was and put his arms around me. He was so warm. "You're trembling."

"I know," I said. I still didn't cry. I never cried, and I wasn't going to let go now. "I'm just a model John. A model that plays a little piano. Why would anyone want to kill me?"

"Eileen Carter, you are not just a model," said John. "You are a lovely, talented, sweet woman. And that shooter's a crazy nut who's lusting for blood."

"That helps," I said.

"I'm sorry," said John. "Just trying to lighten up the moment. I don't think it worked."

I tried to laugh, but it came out as a dry sob. "I can't believe he's here...he could still be here! Oh no, oh no oh no, no, no, no..."  
John lifted my face to look into his eyes. They looked worried, filled with emotion and everything else. He was just as scared as me.

"Eileen, everything'll be fine, just stay calm. You're surrounded by people who care about you. People who love you."

"Except Gwen," I said. "She'd probably be perfectly happy if I was killed."

John shook his head. "Don't say that love," he said. "She's just upset over nothing. Things've been crazy lately, and she doesn't know what to do. I'm sure, deep down, she still loves you."

"Easy for you to say," I said. "She's talking to Jerri now."

"Just don't worry," said John again. "Things will get better, I promise." He kissed me softly, and I started to believe him when everyone else came through the door.

"Is it true?" said Ringo. "Is this really happening?"

"Yes," I said, standing up and trying to regain my cool. "And we have to get out of here as soon as possible." I saw Gwen in the doorway, looking down at her feet. She looked bitter, torn, like she didn't know to be on my side or to still hate me for that stupid fake article. She was playing with a lock of her long, curly hair and remained silent.

"God Eileen, this is insane!" shouted Paul, clutching his hair, eyes popping out of his head. "How did he know you were here? You were wearing a disguise!"

Pattie _almost _spoke up about my little outing with John, or at least that's what I thought, but clamped her little mouth shut just in time. She gave me an apologetic look.

"What's all this?" a frantic voice called. A very frazzled-looking Brian barged through the hall. "Miss Carter, I just received a call from Neil. He said something about finding a ski mask in your closet. Does this mean-"

"Yes, yes it does," I said.

"THEN WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?" Brian screamed. "Everybody out and on the limo!"

In a split second it seemed, everybody was out the door, Pattie and George lugging all of the bags, Neil and Brian attached at the hip, Paul using Ringo's (whom Gwen was stuck to, apparently) back as a desk for scribbling a letter, possibly to Jane, and John clutching my hand.

"I can't believe it," said John seriously as we climbed into the limo. "This guy's got more tricks up his sleeve than my half-sister's magician ex-boyfriend."

"Yeah," said Paul, still in shock. "This is bloody ridiculous man...Eileen, you must have been cursed or something as a small child."

"It's my whole family," I said. "The same guy who killed my mum is after me now."

"Well, we've gotta stop it!" said Pattie. "Right Gwen?"

Gwen grunted a somewhat positive reply. She was clutching Ringo as if she was afraid he might fly away. Ringo gave me a look with his big blue eyes that clearly said, "Help me," and boy I wished I could.

"Alright Neil, step on it!" shouted Brian from the front. Neil did, and the limo screeched off.

"So where to now?" I asked the boys, trying to be happy again.

"We're going back to Hamburg," said John, grinning.


	45. Chapter 45

_*Gwen's P.O.V.*__  
_The limo ride back to the airport was tiring and long. The only person who I wouldn't snap at if they looked at me was Ringo, and even I was having a long time doing that. Eileen was asleep against John's shoulder and he was stroking her hair like she was a little lost kitten or something. She really loved him...

I never thought for a second that she would run off with Ringo. I knew Jerri Dunn's articles were a bunch of rubbish. But after that last article something made me explode. Call me petty, call me immature, but I was jealous of Eileen.

Every time I thought about it, it seemed dumber and dumber, but it was true. She was getting so much attention, negative and positive! It was insane! It was all about her, she was eating it up, and I was sick of it. I bet she secretly _loved_ being chased around by that shooter, just so she could have some spotlight. She was never like this, only recently when she had two of The Beatles get the hots for her did she let it happen.

It was so bad I started to feel queasy. I was afraid for her, but she was being so dumb about the situation. Just give up the bloody spotlight Eileen and go back to yourself! Just then, we went over a bump in the road and I was reminded of another reason why I was so queasy. I saw Eileen wake up for a second, and then lean back on John.

I went back on my train of thought: no wonder Eileen didn't want me and Pattie to come along on anything! She wanted all four of them all to herself! stupid little center-of-attention bitch...

_*Eileen's P.O.V.*__  
_The limo ride was kind of a blur because I was asleep most of the time. All of us were pretty tired to say the least. The few times I did open my eyes, the only one I was awake was Gwen. Of course, we all know why, don't we?

The plane ride was also very uneventful. All of us were pretty much in a lot of shock because of finding the ski mask in my closet. I was sitting next to John on the plane and staring out the window.

"Eileen, are you gonna talk?" asked John. "It's worrying me."

"Don't be worried John," I said. "I'm just so bloody tired." I yawned a yawn that would have spoken for itself if I didn't say I was tired before.

John laughed. "Well, it's been a tiring day."

"Tell me about it," I said. "I think I'm gonna close my eyes again John."

"Go ahead love," he said, then he gave me a quick kiss. I smiled a bit at the whole new meaning of the word, "love" that he used before I drifted off.

"Eileen, Eileen, wake up."

I was woken up to a handful of people standing over me on the plane shaking me and whispering. I groaned and sat up in my seat.

"Whazzup?" I asked groggily.

"We're here silly!" said John cheerily.

"Where's here?" I asked, still dazed.

"Uh...Hamburg?" said George.

"Oh.." I said, looking down. "Yeah, I knew that..."

"Sure ya did," said John, raising his eyebrows. "Come on, we gotta unload. I do believe the bags'll be lighter this time..."

Pattie giggled softly, and I thought I saw Gwen smirk a bit, but it was quickly. What was wrong with her?

"Well let's get going then," said Brian impatiently. "We've got a long few days ahead of us."

"Few?" I asked.

"Didn't you know?" said Pattie. "We're gonna see Jane's play today!"

"Oh..." I said, trying to remember...then finally remembering that Jane did write telling us that she was going to be in Germany. "Yeah, that. Great!" I was actually really looking forward to seeing Jane again. She never failed to cheer me up on a hard day.

All of us got off the plane and started to unpack. "So how good of an actress is Jane?" I asked Paul

"You'll see this evening," said Paul. "She really is quite good, she's very well known."

"That's pretty nice," I said, hauling my bags into the trunk of the limo. As soon as everything was put into the limo, we loaded ourselves up and Neil drove us off to the theatre where Jane was going to perform. I was very much looking forward to seeing Jane on the job. It would surely take my mind off things anyway.

"Alright everyone, land ho!" said a cheery Neil about half-an-hour later when we pulled into the lot in front of the theatre.

"Okay boys," said Brian sternly as we all walked into the theatre. "I don't want goofiness here at all. Girls, here's your stuff, go change please."

The three of us received our disguises and went into the ladies' room. I really didn't know why I was going into the ladies' room when I was gonna come out looking like a guy anyway, but I followed Gwen and Pattie nonetheless. Well, it was more like Pattie and I followed Gwen, seeing as she sped off in front of both of us, but we all got to the same place anyway.

"Won't you look weird coming out of here looking like a boy Eileen?" asked Pattie, stuffing her hair into her brown wig.

"I'll be sneaky," I said. "Maybe you could try and block me or stall or something."

"Good idea," said Pattie. "Hey, Gwen!" Gwen just continued straightening her wig and flounced out of the bathroom.

"That worked," I said, buttoning up Ringo's loaned shirt. "She seriously has some issues to work out."

"Eileen, it's no big deal," said Pattie. "You know Gwen, she's-er-melodramatic."

"Hope you're right," I said, now trying to stuff my hair into the hat.

"Eileen, you didn't tape em down," said Pattie, putting pale foundation on her lips.

"Shit," I cursed. I unbuttoned the shirt again and took the cloth to strap my breasts down. That was done, and I had buttoned the shirt up, modeling in the mirror.

"Let's get you out of here before some girls come in here and flip out," said Pattie. We managed to get me out without anyone seeing, and with that, the whole group of us went to our special VIP seats in the front row of the theatre.

The play was actually very good, long, but good. Jane was a terrific leading lady (although Paul did flinch a couple times when she finally kissed Mr. Darcy). All in all, it was an enjoyable time and made me forget about many problems I'd been having earlier...example, Gwen. Oh, and the shooter, but both were probably trying to kill me.

After the play, we were all admitted backstage with the other VIPs. I broke off from everybody else, looking for Jane. The others were enjoying the food and drinks. Typical. My head was turned the other way when I saw a reddish blur out of the corner of my eye rush past me and soon after, a pair of white arms crushing the life out of me.

"Eileen!" shouted Jane Asher as she hugged me tight. "It's so great to see you again! Oh, do tell me you loved the play!"

"I did Jane, it was great," I said as we ended the hug. Jane's blue eyes were agleam, but also slightly worried. I wondered what was in that note that Paul wrote her. "How've you been?"

"I've been great," said Jane, "but I'm more concerned about how you've been. Gwen's being a bitch, and Paul sent me a letter saying that the shooter made it into your hotel room in Venice the other day! Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," I said. "We rushed out of there, you should've seen Brian's face, it definitely lightened up the situation a bit." Not by much.

"God, you don't know how worried I got when I received that letter," sighed Jane. "I almost couldn't perform today I was so nervous! But I had to, the understudy was dreadfully sick..."

"Sorry to hear that," I said.

"Oh, no matter, show went great anyway," said Jane cheerily, swatting her hand. "I hear something else went on in the bright city of Venice as well..." she said that _very _slyly. But I knew what she meant.

I grinned. "Yeah..." I sighed, remembering.

"So..." said Jane, grinning as well. "Where is he?"

"Oh, being the typical man and getting food," I said.

"That is typical," giggled Jane.

"Who's typical?" asked John with a mouth full of some sort of food, walking over to us. "Cause typically, it's not typically me who's typically typical, typically."

"I've no clue what you just said," I said blankly, but my face was slowly breaking out into a huge grin, and Jane and I were doubled over in obnoxious laughter.

"That was pretty typical," gasped Jane as she laughed.

"Great show by the way," said John. "I was blown away by your terrific interpretation of Miss Elizabeth Bennet." He finished with a sweeping bow. Jane and I giggled. The VIP room backstage was indeed very crowded. Everywhere you turned there was glamorous person after person, and I honestly had to say I didn't feel like I belonged, model girlfriend to John Lennon or not. Germany was full of very promiscuous-looking women as well. I'd heard stories from the boys about the first time they went to Hamburg in 1960, and I saw those storied come to life immediately. And then I saw her.

She was tall, skinny, and very leggy. Her skin was pale and smooth-looking. Her face was slim, with two pail full lips, a small nose, and big, dark eyes. Her hair was a dark brown mop on her head, with a sideswept fringe just brushing her eyes, which were lined thickly with black liquid eyeliner and mascara. She wore a blue and green minidress about her slender frame. She looked perfect.

"Jane, who is she?" I asked quietly to the side.

"Oh, that's Heidi Zimmerman," said Jane. "She's a stripper."

"You don't say?" said John, raising his eyebrows.

"She's one of the most famous ones in Germany," said Jane. "And that's saying a lot, cause there are...a lot...of famous strippers in Germany...Hamburg mostly."

"Once again, you don't say," said John. "Oh, Eileen, don't look twice, but your favourite person is here."

"What?" I asked, but upon seeing her, I noticed exactly what he meant. Creeping up to Heidi brandishing a clipboard and a pen was none other than Jerri Dunn. My first instinct was to just make my way out of the room without having to make any sort of contact with her, but no. Just no. This was the woman who was ruining my life. Dating my brother, turning my friends against me with lies. Of course, me being dressed in disguise as well as Pattie and Gwen, Jerri wouldn't recognize any of us, but it was still personal. I had to keep my cool at the risk of blowing my cover.

Heidi must have said something remotely amusing because Jerri gave a high-pitched giggle before she wrote it down. Heidi did not look very amused at all.

"Eileen," said Jane more quiet than John. "Right by Jerri...is that...?"

"Yeah," I said surprised. It was Charlie. Now I knew I had better not blow my cover, or I was screwed.

"D'ya think he knows you're here?" asked John in my ear.

"I dunno," I said, nervous. "This really sucks...I think I need to lay low...very low."

"Too right," said Jane. "What's the alias again?"

"Erwin Starkey," I said. "Ringo's sixteen-year-old cousin."

"Gotcha," said Jane, giving a thumbs-up. That was just in time, because before I knew it, Jerri, with Charlie in tow, was on her way over to us.

"Jane Asher?" said Jerri.

"Yes, that's me!" said Jane cheerily. She really was a good actress.

"My name is Jerri Dunn from Liverpool Times, and I just wanted to say how great the performance was this evening," said Jerri. She proceeded to ask Jane a few questions for an interview which I tried my hardest to shut out and stare at a blank wall the whole time. I really tried not to look at Charlie, but he wasn't paying attention to me anyway. In fact, he looked a little distant, almost sad. I wondered for a moment if it was about me...

"...and Mr. Lennon, if I may inquire about Miss Eileen Carter? I notice she is not here?" Yeah dumb bitch, I thought. Mention me in front of my brother...you know as well as I do where I am.

"That will not be disclosed, sorry madam," said John.

"Oh," said Jerri, disappointed, but she fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously anyway. Then her eyes rested on me. "And who are you?"

"Oh...um..." I said, thrown. "M'name's Erwin Miss, Ringo's...uh...cousin."

"I see," said Jerri, writing something down on her clipboard. "And how old are you, Erwin?"

"Sixteen," I said, desperately trying to keep my voice pitched lower than usual, but not too low.

"Why are you not standing with your cousin young man?" asked Jerri.

"Oh, he has a big crush on Jane," said John, clapping my shoulder. Jane snorted and I forced a nervous laugh, trying not to giggle girlishly.

Jerri laughed. "That's cute," she said with a huge smile. I wondered if she believed the false identity, or if she was just playing along. I didn't know how convincing I was being. "Well, it was very nice to meet you, Mr. Starkey!" she gave one last, very wide smile to John as she bounded off with Charlie, who looked as distant as ever. he gave one more glance back at the three of us before they disappeared into the crowd.

"Crush on Jane," I said to John as soon as Jerri and Charlie were out of earshot. "That the best you could come up with?"

"Honestly, yeah," said John.

"Do you think they believed it?" asked Jane.

"I dunno," I said. "Jerri may have, she's not the brightest crayon, but Charlie...I dunno...he looked so..."

"Down?" offered John.

"Yeah..." I said. "Down."

Can't say I didn't blame him.


	46. Chapter 46

Furious didn't even begin to describe the look on Gwen's face when she saw Jerri walking away from me, Jane, and John. Her eyes narrowed to slits, she set her jaw and ground her teeth, and I knew she was itching to tear her short black wig off of her head. Pattie looked very nervous beside her as she flitted her head from Gwen and me to Jerri leaving the room. Paul, George, and Ringo noticed too and stood a little back.

"Gwen, what's wrong?" I asked "I barely spoke to the woman."

"You just eat it up, don't you?" Gwen hissed. "You just love all that bloody attention, I know. You want all four Beatles to yourself, and all the fame. Well, I ain't having it! Share some of the spotlight, will you?"

"Gwen, what are you talking about?" I asked. "I never asked for this, all the attention is driving me crazy!"

"Well then, you should join Jane's little acting troupe," said Gwen, "Cause it damn well looks like you enjoy all this crap."

"Gwen, just stop it!" I suddenly shouted. The whole room went silent, and suddenly all heads were turned to us. "I never wanted any of this to happen!" I said again, close to tears. "Well, parts of it are good," I said, thinking of John, "But all the interviews, the publicity, the articles, the near-death experiences, do you honestly think I like that?"

"Yeah," said Gwen, with a "seriously Eileen?" look on her face.

"Well, you're fucking wrong," I said, voice shaking. "All wrong."

"Maybe you don't realize it Eileen, but you can't fool me!" blurted Gwen.

"Gwen!" shouted Pattie. No one was supposed to know it was really me, but I didn't care at this point.

All around the room, there were whispers of "Is that Eileen?" "Eileen Carter?" "The boy's Eileen?" I saw Charlie peek around the crowd and shove people out of the way frantically to make his way up to us.

"Yeah, it's me," I said evenly. I took the cap off, letting my blonde hair tumble free. Pattie and Gwen looked at each other and did the same with their wigs. John, Paul, George, and Ringo looked nervous. Neil looked confused. Brian looked downright mortified. "Thanks Gwen for blowing my cover, I really don't care anymore. Maybe the shooter'll find me easy and kill me off for you so you can have all the attention."

Gwen looked positively speechless. "Eileen, I didn't mean..." Ringo put a hand on her shoulder. not to comfort her, but to stop her.

Charlie was still trying to get up to us. He got to Heidi, and was stuck. Although Heidi was skinny as a twig, she managed to help Charlie push people out of the way.

"Thanks," breathed Charlie when he finally made it up.

"Anything for the brother of the voman who gets crap from that annoying newsvoman," said Heidi in an extremely sultry German accent. Charlie said nothing back; Heidi obviously didn't know that him and the "annoying newswoman" were dating.

Charlie looked from me, to Gwen and Pattie, and then not The Beatles and their entourage. But mostly at John. "You told me she wasn't with you," said Charlie to John finally.

"I did tell you that, didn't I?" said John. "Charlie dear, just because I tell you something doesn't mean it's the truth. And I thought you'd find out with Jerri writing all those articles anyway."

"She never showed me any articles about Eileen," said Charlie. "And I trusted you John. Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie all the way," said John matter-of-factly. "I said she ran away, and she did, with help. And if you trusted me so much, you would know very well that your sister is safe in my hands. The shooter hasn't shown up since."

I almost said something about before we left Venice, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. I didn't want to get John in more trouble than he was already in. Heidi stood like a beautiful statue, observing. Then Charlie looked to me.

"Eileen, I can't believe you've done this," he said. "You were safe with me, safer than you were ever with-with them." He gestured to the group.

"Charlie, please," I said. "This was what I chose, you can't deny my choice. They're my friends."

"Yeah, and I'm your brother, Eileen, we're family," said Charlie. "That should be your priority! I should be the first person you go to. And not to mention John lying to me about this whole thing, he's no good, no good to be around, he'll take advantage of you, he'll hurt you someday Eileen, just listen-"

"STOP!" I shouted, even louder than with Gwen. Charlie froze in midspeech. Heidi was clearly enjoying the predicament, watching intently with one raised eyebrow. It was only then that I remembered everyone in the room was watching us too.

"Stop what Eileen, why?" asked Charlie, fuming."

"Because I love him!" I yelled. I didn't care that everyone was watching us now. I was angry. "I love him with all my heart, more than I can ever love anyone, and he would never do any of that crap to me, so shut up!"

"Eileen..." said Charlie.

"Eileen, cool down," said Paul softly. John put a hand on my back.

"I won't Paul, this is personal," I said. "Charlie, if I were still fifteen this would be all fine, but I'm twenty, almost twenty-one, I'm a grown woman, I can make my own choices! You're not mum you know."

"I know I'm not mum," said Charlie. "But I just want to protect you."

Out of silence, Heidi spoke up with her heavily accented voice. "Charlie, I do understand about vanting to give your sister protection, especially under the circumstances...but listen to her point of view. She is a grown voman like she says. She's obviously very independent and strong. Just like you." She ended with a smile, not seductive, but kind.

"Now, if you think I'm gonna take advice from a stripper..." said Charlie through his teeth, shaking his finger at Heidi.

"Hey, I'd do it," said John in plain earshot. I flinched as Charlie rounded on him.

"And that-John Lennon-is exactly why..." He paused. "...you are the right man for Eileen."

"Yeah...wait, what?" said John, confused. "I thought you said everything and more that was bad about me, am I missing something here?"

"I change my mind quickly," said Charlie. "And about what I said...John, you really are a good person. You told me before that you cared about her, and so far, you've really shown it. You're not afraid to take a chance, and let's face it, you did save her life a good amount of times. You and Eileen just...click, I guess. I hope you'll forgive me for being horrible."

"Of course I will," said John. "Anything for my best girl's brother."

"Thanks man," said Charlie. Charlie turned to me again, but his face looked softer and calmer. "Eileen, I'm sorry," he said. "I should've known better, you're all grown up, and-"

Paul started humming the verse to "I Should Have Known Better."

Charlie laughed and started talking again. "Just...I know you're not a kid anymore. It's just ever since mum...and I heard about the shooter, I just can't...can't think of losing you, you don't know what that would do to me. I love you Eileen, you're my sister. And if you really love him...you're responsible enough to make your own decisions."

"Oh, Charlie," I said, smiling. "Thank you!" I leapt forward and hugged him. He seemed confused at first; I hadn't hugged him in years, but he eased in, and we held onto each other like we had no argument at all.

"Strippers aren't just a big pair of breasts after all," said Heidi.

"Well-" said John, but stopped with a smile. "Thanks by the way, Miss Zimmerman, that was most helpful."

"Don't thank me," said Heidi. "He vas going to break down soon enough anyway."

"We're just all loving each other here, aren't we?" said Gwen sheepishly. "Yeah...Eileen? I don't mean to interrupt anything...but...OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY, COMMERE!" Gwen lurched forward, knocked Charlie out of the way, and gave me a hug twice as hard.

"Ouch, Gwen, careful!" I said, but laughing all the way. Soon, following the lead, the whole group was hugging and kissing each other like happiness was a disease. I was stuck between hugging Gwen and kissing John, Paul and Jane were making out like no tomorrow, Ringo was running his hand through Gwen's hair, Charlie was acting buddy-buddy with John, Pattie and George...were doing something that should not be done in public...and Neil and Brian just stood off to the side with a satisfied-looking Heidi.

"I never knew it would be like this when we took her in," said Brian, observing the scene and shaking his head.

"Who would've known?" asked Neil. "If the boys are involved, anything's possible.

"I'm just glad there was a happy ending to all this," said Brian. "Insanity..."

"It's not exactly the end yet, you know," I said, breaking away from everybody. "We still haven't caught the shooter."

Brian put his face in his hands. "Oh God, don't remind me. I just want to enjoy the happiness while it lasts."

"No speak of the shooter!" shouted John, trying to sound drunk. I laughed and joined back in, but then...

BANG.

A scream.

Gasps.

And a dull thud.

There was a crowd around what fell in the VIP room now. Jane stood next to me, scared, eyes big, clutching my hand...I was doing the same to John. That bang was a gun, but I couldn't see what-or who-the bullet hit. I had a nasty feeling who shot the gun though...

The crowd began to part now, and I started to see who was lying there in the middle of the circle of alarmed people. Beautiful eyes wide open and lying still in a pool of her own crimson blood, was Heidi Zimmerman, shot dead.

"Oh my God-" said Pattie when she saw, putting a hand to her mouth. "Who...why..."

"I know exactly who," I said, my voice trembling. I broke free of both Jane's and John's hands and stormed off through the room. Then I saw him.

Clad in all black, wearing a ski mask and holding a smoking gun, was the shooter. There was no fear now, I had to do what I had to do. "You!" I shouted. "Yeah, you, I'm right here, are you gonna shoot me too?"

The shooter whipped around. Right when I thought he was going to attack, he suddenly sped out of the room with intense speed, me running close behind him. I was going to catch him, even if it killed me.


	47. Chapter 47

I ran down the hall like I never had done before. The shooter was well ahead of me, but I was gaining quickly. My hair fanned out behind me in the breeze I was forming. My feet stomped on the ground like two two-ton bricks. I was shocked at how quickly the shooter moved; he was swift and nimble on his feet, making every twist and turn without so much as touching a wall. Almost catlike. I was catching up now; my breath was almost as loud as my footfalls. The shooter darted through the door at the end of the hall and sprinted outside, but I shot forward in a sudden burst of speed and caught up. My fingers touched the black fabric of his jumpsuit and I grabbed hold of him. We both tumbled down to the floor.

We both hit the floor with muffled "Oofs" and before the shooter could scramble away, I pinned him down. I was surprised at my own strength, but it was personal now. Aside from Jerri Dunn, this man was the sole reason for all the pain in my life.

"What are you going to do, girlie?" he hissed, trying to hold his gun up.

"Why did you do it?" I screamed through my teeth. "Why do you kill people? Why do you want to kill me?"

"If I told you that, it would ruin all the fun," said the shooter. "And the only person I've ever killed was Heidi back there anyway, so why the plural 'people?' You are the only one I want to kill now."

"That's a lie!" I spat. "You killed my mother!"

"What?" said the shooter again, but it was...different. Instead of the usual hiss in the voice, that word, "what," came out baffled, confused, loud and full-voiced with more of an English accent, and...almost...female? "I didn't kill your mother, what are you talking about?" he continued in the same strange voice. When he realized how he sounded, however, he clamped his hands over his mouth...or her mouth?

I had enough of this. Why did the shooter's voice change? Was it who I thought it was this whole time, or someone else? With a sharp grunt, I shot my arm forward and grabbed at the ski mask. Slowly, it slid off the head and came off.

Lying on the ground, hazel eyes wide with shock, makeup smeared, and brown hair tussled, was none other than Jerri Dunn.

At first I thought I was seeing things-how on earth was that Jerri? I knew for a fact that the shooter couldn't _possibly_ be her! But there she was, right in front of me, wearing all black with a gun in her little hand. We both stared at each other, flabbergasted, but then I realized...the knowing whenever I got attacked...the extensive knowledge of each shooter situation...the hard metal object in her dress that one time at the hotel...the shooter's small stature...getting close to my brother...it all made so much sense!

"You?" I said. "You? How could you?"

Without a word in reply, Jerri slid out from under my much relaxed grasp and ran for it like a frightened animal. I still lay on the ground where I tackled her in shock.

"I just don't understand..." I said. It was two days later, and the boys had just finished their concert and were now loading up their equipment. Jerri had not shown up at all and was not seen since the play.

"Me either," said Gwen, who was now speaking to me after several apologies about her past actions. "Jerri, of all people. Who knew she knew what a gun was?"

I tried to laugh, but all that came out was a dry choke.

"It's odd," said John. "But who the hell was the guy who we initially thought was the shooter? Dying to know...no pun intended."

"That's what doesn't make sense," I said. "Why Jerri? Why not the guy who killed my mum? What did I ever do to Jerri? What did Heidi ever do to Jerri?"

"Don't worry about Heidi," said John. "Just be glad it wasn't you."

"But if I weren't there, she wouldn't be dead," I said bitterly.

John clamped a hand on my shoulder and just looked at me. Brian shouted his name, and he gave me an apologetic look and went to help load again.

"Does Charlie know?" asked Gwen.

"I didn't tell him," I said. "I know I should, but I just can't bring myself to it."

"Don't worry," said Gwen. "It'll work itself out...eventually."

"You do believe me though, right?" I asked.

"I have no reason not to," said Gwen. "Not after that last thing...that was way uncalled for...but I'm done digressing, it's all good now." She ended with a characteristic goofy grin. Oh Gwen...

Pattie and George bounced up to us hand-in-hand. "Ya like that one?" asked George.

"The show?" I asked. "Yeah, it was good."

"Good to know," said George. He walked away, leaving Pattie. I could tell everyone was leaving me alone for the past few days for a reason. I was in distress about finding out the true identity of the shooter. Pretty soon, we were all in the hotel. Pattie and John were with me in the main room while everyone else was just around.

There was a knock on the door, and John opened it. In walked Charlie, looking very proud. Apparently, whatever was going on with him made him forget about the incident after Jane's play two days ago. I wondered if I should tell him about Jerri…would it be right? "What's going on, Charlie?" I asked.

"What's going on?" echoed Charlie. "Oh, I'll tell you what's going on, Eileen, dear baby sister…I'm going to propose to Jerri tonight!"

What? Oh no…not Jerri. It was beyond extreme dislike this time—Charlie needed to know the truth about her. And then I thought. The dreams I had, the ones where Jerri had ended up shooting and killing Charlie…the first one started out with Charlie proposing to her…and the second one had Jerri holding a ring after she had shot! I knew it was on a whim, but it was all too suspicious. Charlie couldn't propose to her! "No Charlie, please don't!" I shouted. "You can't!"

Charlie sighed. "Look Eileen, I know that you never liked Jerri—"

"But it's not just about that this time!" I screamed. "Look, I have something I need to tell you, Jerri's—"

"Eileen, I let you do what you wanted and shack up with John," said Charlie. "Isn't it only right for you to let me do what I want?"

"Just listen to her," said John. "Trust me, it's a little far-fetched, but it just may save your life."

"Guys, what are you all talking about?" asked Charlie, getting flustered.

"Charlie, Jerri's the shooter," I said bluntly, as out of breath as I would be if I ran a marathon. "And if you propose to her, she'll kill you."

Charlie was silent for a minute, and the other people in the room exchanged nervous glances. John stood by me like a strong, unmoving statue, ready to take whatever Charlie would say. "Eileen, are you daft?" Charlie finally said, looking at me like I was a child who said something amiss. "Dear sister, Jerri couldn't possibly be the shooter! She's the kindest, most honest person I know, and she will definitely not kill me of all people! Seriously Eileen, I don't know where you get your crazy ideas from."

"But it's not a crazy idea!" I yelled, close to tears. "I saw her! I took off the ski mask after the incident after the play the other day and I saw her face!"

"Eileen, let it be, I don't know what or who you say, but it was not my Jerri!" I was about to retort, but Pattie grabbed my shoulder. I knew this would happen.

"You know what Charlie?" I said. "Go on, propose to her. If you love her that much not to listen to your own sister's warning, go on."

"Eileen, what has gotten into you?" asked Charlie. "All I want is my own sister to be happy for me in this huge leap I'm making in my life. Is that too much to ask?" With that, he turned on heel and walked out the door.

"Don't worry about it," said Pattie. "How do you know she'll shoot him anyway?"

I quickly reminded me about the dreams I had. "So I guess they weren't stupid like you all were saying, right!"

"Yeah, yer right love," said John. "Sorry about all the crap we gave you about them."

"It's okay," I said. "I just have to save my brother."

"What was all that going on in there?" asked Paul, walking in with George, Ringo, Brian, and Neil. "Eileen, Charlie just kind of stormed out of the place. Everything alright?"

"He's gonna propose to Jerri," I said. "And that means she's gonna kill him."

"Well what're ya gonna do about it?" asked George.

"I'm gonna save his bloody life, that's what I'm gonna do!" I said.

"And we have your back all the way, don't we boys!" said Gwen, clapping me on the back, hard and making me lose my breath.

"All the way Eileen!" said Ringo. "When're you gonna go?"

"He said he was gonna do it tonight," I said. "So…very, very soon."

"Do you even know where he's gonna be?" asked John.

"Of course!" I said. "His hotel room, where else? I'm sure of it."

"Do you think you'll make it in time?" asked Pattie. "I mean, it's late already."

"Pat, if I know my brother, he's gonna wait until as late as possible," I said. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"For your own sake, I hope you do," said Brian, looking like he was about to cry of frustration. "Eileen, is this totally safe? I mean, we were trying so hard to protect you from all this, and now you're pursuing the man—er—woman who is trying to kill you!"

"Charlie's my brother, Brian," I said. "And no matter how much he aggravates me sometimes, I'm gonna save him." I went off to my room, frustrated, hurt, and frightened. I saw down on the bed, holding my face in my hands. I would leave in a bit…I needed to let some steam off. I hoped I wasn't too late for Charlie. The door creaked open and John walked in. He sat down next to me without a word. After a moment, he finally spoke up.

"Eileen, do you really think she'd kill Charlie?" he asked.

"John, did you see what she did to Heidi back at the VIP party?" I said. "I'm really worried John, and I don't know if I can save him."

"You can, love," said John. He reached out and caressed my ear sensually. I closed my eyes and surrendered to his touch. I felt his lips upon my neck, and my mind swirled. I'd let John love me a little before I went off to Charlie…I needed it. John softly lowered me onto the bed as his kisses moved up to my lips, and his hands all around me.

Afterwards, I got dressed again and spared no time leaving the place.

"Do you want any of us to go with you?" asked Ringo. The others looked like they thought it'd be a good idea.

"No guys," I said. "I don't want to put anyone else here in danger. This is a job for me, and me only."

"Are you sure Eileen?" asked John, looking worried.

"I'll be fine John," I said. "I've got to leave now. I'll be back everyone, I promise."

"You better be back," said Gwen, looking teary-eyed. "I don't know what we'd do without you and all. There'd be no reason!"

"I'll be back Gwen," I said. "When I make a promise, I keep it!" I started to walk out the front door when John swiftly grabbed me and kissed me deeply.

"Take care of yourself Eileen," he said, looking me square in the eye. "I love you."

"I love you too John," I said. I walked out the door and soon out of the hotel to finally face the person that had been giving me so much hell for months. I hailed a taxi, and was immediately disappointed that it wasn't Gregory behind the wheel…he was all the way back in Liverpool. I sure could have used his support then. Charlie and Jerri where staying in a different hotel. I gave the driver directions, and we were off into the night.

"Right here," I said to the driver as he pulled up to the front of the hotel. He stopped, I handed him the fare, and he muttered something in German as I got out and he drove off. I stood outside for a moment, just looking at the door. I couldn't waste any more time now. Charlie was in danger, and I was going to do everything I could to save him. Taking a deep breath in, I went through the front door and made my way to the couple's hotel room.

The door to their room was ajar, so I took it upon myself to crack the door open more so I could peek in. But with a pang in my heart, I realized I was too late—just as I started to open the door, I heard a loud BANG! And a choke of pain. "No!" I screamed, slamming the door open and bursting in.

There was Charlie, still on one knee and still holding the glittering engagement ring with Jerri standing over him with a smoking gun. Blood was gushing from the bullet wound in Charlie's chest, and he looked around at me and Jerri in surprise. Jerri's face was malicious, vengeful, as she glared at me, satisfied. Charlie came to look at me, his eyes wide with shock.

"Eileen…" he choked. "I'm…sorry…" He drew his final breath, and collapsed to the floor, eyes wide open, still in shock. I stood, rooted to the spot. I could not believe what I had just seen. Jerri Dunn, that at first annoying model—turned—reporter…had just shot and killed my brother. Jerri chuckled evilly and bent over Charlie. She took the ring that had fallen onto the floor and slid it on her finger.

"A pretty little thing, don't you think?" she said, admiring it. Then her eyes fell on me, cold and without remorse.

Just the sight of Jerri wearing the ring that the man who loved her had gotten for her made my blood boil, but wearing it over his dead body, who she had killed herself, sent me over the edge, and then some. Rage built up inside me and my insides grew hot. All of the anger, fear, and hatred since the beginning of this whole thing was finally going to pay off. I could barely contain myself anymore. "Bitch, I'll kill you!" I screamed, and darted into the room, my fists flying. Jerri, who was swifter than I initially thought, bolted from the room, and I swiftly followed.

We turned and weaved through the hallways, which were empty at this time of night, thankfully. I shouted obscenities through my teeth as I tried in vain to catch Jerri. Jerri seemed almost afraid as she ran from me, like she had some sort of doubt in her mind that she would win. In an attempt to try and lose me, she took a sharp turn to the stairway to the roof, but I was just as fast as her there. Out of breath but still enraged enough to continue the chase, I followed her up the staircase.

"This has gone on far enough!" I said as I tried to corner her. I grabbed her throat and squeezed, but my grip loosened when she used the hand she wasn't holding her gun with to dig her nails into my arm. I hissed in pain and saw the shallow but bleeding marks she left as she darted to the roof.

It was windy, cold, and a hard rain began to fall. "Alright Jerri speak up, why did you do it?" I yelled over the storm.

"You think you're so special, having John Lennon, don't you?" screeched Jerri. It wasn't her normal voice I heard, but that of the crazed shooter she was. "All the attention, all the fame, the favoritism, everything! I wanted all of it for myself, and no one was going to stand in my way!"

"You were trying to kill me just because you wanted John?" I said.

Thunder boomed. "Quite right," said Jerri coldly.

"But why kill Charlie?" I said, not being able to tell my tears from the rain falling on my face. "Or Heidi? What were they to you?"

"Charlie was a ruse!" screamed Jerri, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Someone I could hide behind so I could take what was rightfully mine without being suspicious! I wouldn't need him anymore after today, so I needed to dispose of him!"

"Dispose of him?" I shrieked, feeling more and more rage boil in my blood. "Oh, I'll dispose of _you _Jerri Dunn!" I leapt, slipping on the wet roof, but catching Jerri on my way down. I fell on top of her, pinning her down. "And tell me, what were you planning on doing when _I _was dead?"

"Take from you what was mine!" spat Jerri. "The fame, the Beatle, the attention, everything!" She started to laugh hysterically, like a maniac. She flung herself up, slamming me onto the hard, wet concrete. I saw stars and felt pain as I flew back. Jerri rushed over and held her gun over me. "Sweet dreams, Eileen Carter," she hissed as she cocked a bullet.

The bright gleam of the engagement ring caught my eye and set me anew. Grunting with rage, I kicked the gun out of her hand and stood up. I heard the crack of bone and a shriek as Jerri cradled her wrist after I kicked it. I tried to punch her in the face, but she ducked and went after her gun with her good hand. I tried to stop her with all of my might. She grabbed her gun, but before she could cock it, I finally landed a punch in her face. Jerri screamed and grabbed me, holding me over the edge of the roof. The strong wind blew me dangerously and the rain was falling right into my eyes so I could not see. Jerri's fists landed all over me; I was tasting blood and feeling pain. My feet were slipping in the puddles and I felt only thin air under my body. This had to be the end. I was just going to die here on the roof…

Then thoughts erupted in me. Thoughts of Gwen and Pattie…of Jane…Paul, George, Ringo…of Charlie…thoughts of John…my dear friends who I'd never known anyone like before, who I'd be leaving if I gave up now. People I loved, and people I must avenge for tonight. I didn't take another punch from Jerri. I flung myself around by I-don't-even-know-how and now s_he _was hanging off the roof.

The woman worked feverishly at her gun as I hit her in every way I could imagine. "You won't live to get what you want!" I screamed. Jerri opened her mouth for something, but she wouldn't get the chance. With one final punch from me, Jerri flew over the edge of the roof, screaming. Her eyes were wide in horror and her limbs flailed. But her left hand squeezed the trigger of her gun and as Jerri fell to her death, I felt pain in my right side. Blood pooled from my wound as I stood there alone on the roof in the rain. I fell to the floor as my vision got grainy, blurred, and finally black.


	48. Chapter 48

I came to rather quickly, to tell you the truth, or so I thought. It was a quite familiar scene; opening my eyes slowly to see blurry images of a room and that infernal beeping sound coming from somewhere above me. I knew almost right away I was in a hospital. Turns out I had been in one far too many times as of late. My vision regained itself and I stretched, but winced in a mild pain when I got the physical reminder that I had been shot earlier. Man…what happened earlier? It was all a blur…Jerri…she fell off the roof…and Charlie…he was dead too. I wondered what had become of everyone else. One of my many questions was answered when I familiar face came walking through the door of my hospital room carrying an acoustic guitar.

"Hey Eileen," said John, sitting down at a chair, bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Been worse," I said. "Well, it's a bit of a stretch, but you get what I mean."

"Just glad you made it out alive," said John. "I don't know what I would have done. I—I'm sorry about Charlie, love."

I caught my tears up in my eyes before they had the chance to escape. "It's alright," I said. "I'm just glad Jerri got what was coming to her. I can't believe I was too late to save him…"

"Eileen, you saved him, you avenged him!" said John, tenderly grabbing my shoulder with his free hand.

"But the bitch made off with the engagement ring," I said, anguished.

"Ah! But that's what _you _think!" said John. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the glittering, diamond engagement ring Charlie had meant to give to Jerri. John handed it to me and I clutched it in my hands.

"How did you get it?" I asked.

"Well Gwen and Pattie were getting really restless," said John, "so I went with the two of them to the hotel you were at to see what was going on. We looked everywhere for you, or Charlie, even Jerri, and then finally, we were getting bloody d_esperate _by then, got up to the roof, where we found you lying there. Gwen ran down to get a hold of the police and Pattie and I stayed with you. Once the police came, with an ambulance, of course, or you probably wouldn't be in a hospital…I went down to see what happened to Jerri…man it was ugly, you really did a number on her ya did…and I saw the ring, so I took it off, cleaned it up…and now it's in your hand." He finished with a bittersweet smile.

"Wow…" I said, still not able to put together everything that had happened. "Is everyone here now?"

"Yeah, they're all outside," said John. "I actually have something I would like to play for you." He flashed his guitar. "Remember that song I was working on, with your piano part?"

"Yeah," I said, perking up just a little bit. I was finally going to hear the fruits of all his labor!

"Well, here it is," said John. He placed his fingers on the respective frets and strings of the guitar and began to play a pretty little riff. And then he started to sing:

"_There are places I remember_

_All my life, though some have changed._

_Some forever, not for better._

_Some have gone and some remain._

_All these places have their moments,_

_With lovers and friends I still can call._

_Some are dead and some are living._

_I my life I've loved them all._

_But of all these friends and lovers, _

_There is no one compares with you._

_And these memories lose their meaning_

_When I think of love as something new._

_Though I know I'll never lose affection_

_For people and things that went before,_

_I know I'll often stop and think about them._

_In my life I love you more."_

The lyric stopped, that touching, beautiful, heartfelt lyric, and so did the full chords. Instead, John's fingers flew and flitted all along the guitar neck with the right hand melody of my piano-turned-harpsichord part I had written that long, long time ago. Even though it was just a single melody, no chords or changes, it sung beautifully off the instrument and into my ears and heart. That melody came to an end, and chords came once again along with John's perfect, raspy voice:

"_Though I know I'll never lose affection_

_For people and things that went before,_

_I know I'll always stop and think about them._

_In my life I love you more._

_In my life I love you more."_

John put his guitar down as he finished and propped it up on the side of the chair he sat in. "Well, what did you think?" he asked anxiously.

"John, it's beautiful!" I breathed. "However did you come up with that?"

"Easy," said John. "I thought of you, Eileen." He leaned down carefully as to not hurt me any more than I already was and kissed me softly. I kissed back, enjoying the feeling of warmth and the love he had for me.

"It's so hard to believe that this is all over," I said after he let me go.

"It's only the beginning, love," said John. After about an hour, my nurse walked in and readied me to be let out. Apparently I hadn't been hurt as bad as I thought I was. John helped me out of the room and into the waiting room where everyone was…well…waiting for me, which resulted in me being attacked by Gwen.

"Oh, Eileen, I thought you were gonna _die!"_ she squealed, not loosening her grip on me one bit. "I'm so glad you're okay, that bloody awful _bitch _Jerri got what she deserved all right!"

"Gwen knock it off, she's a gunshot wound and brutal beating victim, let her go," said Pattie, managing somehow to pry a borderline weeping Gwen off of me. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Shaken still, but I'm alive," I said.

"Well we're glad for that," said Paul walking over with Jane. "We were all eating our nails when those three left to find you."

"I of course had to finish all of my shows," said Jane, "but you were in all of my prayers."

"So I heard you knocked Jerri off the roof," said George casually. "How'd ya do that now?"

"Knock it off George," said Ringo. "Eileen doesn't want to relive all that crap…do you?"

"Not at the moment," I said. It was true—all I wanted to do was go home, snuggle up in bed, preferably with John, and have a good dream for once.

"What matters men—and women, respectively, is that Eileen is safe and alive here with us," said John.

"Oh…" said Pattie. "And we're really sorry about Charlie."

"Yeah," said Gwen. "We were all a mess when we found out."

I fumbled with the engagement ring for a moment before speaking. "Charlie just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," I said. "I'm just so sorry he had to get tangled up in it…"

"Are we okay to leave now?" said a shaky, nervous voice from the corner. We all turned to look at a very flustered-looking Brian Epstein standing here no one saw him. "I'd just like to forget about all of this…" Despite everything that had just happened, we all laughed at the frazzled manager and followed him out the door and into the van waiting for us.

"So Eileen," said John, helping me into the van. "What do you plan to do with yourself now?"

"Well, I'll probably do more modeling again," I said. "Settle down a bit…live my old life, I guess."

"You deserve that," said John. "But if you're gonna keep on dating a Beatle…well, all I can say is…prepare yourself for anything." He pulled a silly face and I giggled.

"I think I'm used to doing that John Lennon," I said with a smile.

"Well that's bloody good then!" said John. He kissed me deeply in the backseat of the van as everyone clamored in, but I didn't really care. I was just going to let go…surrender my feelings and feel my senses collapse. Nothing could ruin this moment, the feeling of his lips on mine…

"Oh, none of that you two, hold on till we get to somewhere where you can get a bleeding room!" shouted Brian from the drivers' seat. John and I abruptly broke apart and saw that everyone was crammed into the van clown-car-style and staring at us, trying not to laugh.

"Aw, come on Eppy!" whined John playfully. "Why do ya always have to spoil the fun?"

"Because without me, you boys are nothing," said Brian, driving off.

"He got ya there," said Paul, giving John a nudge. John grabbed Paul's arm that nudged him and twisted it back jokingly.

"So Eileen, is it back to our old flat?" asked Gwen in the midst of John and Paul's game.

"You never know Gwen," I said. "I'm just gonna take it as it comes."

"Maybe that's best," said Pattie, joining in. "We've got Beatle boyfriends! It's gonna be a roller coaster ride from here on out!" Jane nodded in her all-knowing agreement.

"Oh, and like it wasn't before?" asked George, overhearing. Once again, we all laughed at that…because it was so damn true! Maybe John was right in saying it was all just beginning…I had to learn how to trust him anyhow.

**Epilogue**

It was very nice from then actually. Of course we had the "A Hard Day's Night" premiere to go to. It was funny seeing me from back then. Of course, Gwen never passed up an opportunity to boo and hiss every time she saw Jerri pop up on the screen. It was crazy how long ago, but how recent, this had been. And then there was Charlie's funeral. My father had come down for it, and I was either clinging to him or John the whole time. It was a very hard and sad day. I got to speak, and I barely got a word out. Saying goodbye had to be done, but it felt like losing my mother all over again. Soon after that, I continued my modeling job with Gwen and Pattie like the good 'ol days.

In the following year, 1965, Gwen and Ringo had married, their new film "Help!" came out riding on the success of "A Hard Day's Night", and John's song, "In My Life" had made it onto their new "Rubber Soul" album. Their sound had changed much sense they first came out…more into the psychedelic rock that was bursting out in places. And of course, the inevitable—following "Rubber Soul's" release, John had finally gotten down on one knee and proposed to me. The wedding was lavish; of course The Beatles had much more money now than before. It was perhaps the happiest day of my life, being Mrs. Eileen Lennon. Pattie had caught my bouquet in a rageful fight with Gwen (although already married) and Jane, and of course, George and Pattie were married in that next year as well.

Those years that followed were beautiful. Of course, until that fateful night on December the eighth 1980…it was gut-wrenching to lose such another person so important to me. My mother, my brother, and now…my love, my husband. Of course, I had to be strong and ready to pick up where he left off. How ironic it was that he was killed by a crazed shooter himself…I fell into a deep hole for a while, unable to think or live. I never remarried, but dated around. I never found anyone a bit like John.

Now I am much older than I was. I'm sitting on my big 'ol lazy chair and looking at that oh-so-old magazine that John and I had done that photo shoot for so many years ago. I smile and a couple of tears hit the page. All of those good times, and of course the not-so-good come back to me in a flood of emotion and memory. After much contemplation, I come to find that John was right about what he said to me after I got out of the hospital…what I thought was the end of it all was only the beginning. In my life, I knew that, and in my life, I loved him more.

**The End**

Hey there! Well, that's the end to another one of my stories…I hoped you enjoy, this took a lot of effort and time, and boy did I love writing it! I would like to do my standard procedure and ask you all awesome people a few questions. The answers can help me improve what I write next, and yes, I do care what you think about my writing!

What was your favorite chapter/part and why?

What could I have done better, and how?

What character(s) did you like best? Care to explain?

Over all, well, how was it? Elaborate!

And of course, if there's anything you wanna ask me, go to it, and thank you for reading!

Message or review, doesn't matter to me! Thanks again!


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